This STATEMENT is made by the Full Board of the Directors of the Kalumburu Aboriginal Corporation:
Bishop Saunders – Conviction for Sexual Abuse of Aboriginals:
As the community may be aware, Bishop Saunders served as the Bishop of Broome from 1996-2021. His responsibilities included the Mission at Kalumburu.
In August 2026, Bishop Saunders was convicted of sexual offences against aboriginals. In particular, Bishop Saunders was convicted by a jury on 13 charges (including 12 counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual penetration/rape) involving young Aboriginal men in the Kimberley region. One of the charges related to acts on an aboriginal man at the Mission in Kalumburu.
Bishop Saunders will be sentenced on 21 September 2026.
The board of directors of the Kalumburu Aboriginal Corporation condemns in the strongest possible terms the misconduct Bishop Saunders was found guilty of.
Following the verdict, the new Bishop Tim Norton SVD released a statement acknowledging the courage of victims and pledging a renewed commitment to safety and healing within the Diocese of Broome.
The Kalumburu Aboriginal Corporation will work with Bishop Tim Norton to help keep everyone in our community safe and to prevent this kind of abuse from happening again.
If any board member, or employee or representative of the corporation becomes aware of any inappropriate or criminal conduct, it must be immediately brought to the attention of the board of KAC and it must be IMMEDIATELY REPORTED to the WA police.
This Statement has been approved by the FULL BOARD OF DIRECTORS of the Kalumburu Aboriginal Corporation.
October 2026
A statement by Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB, President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, and a pastoral statement by Bishop of Broome Tim Norton regarding the sentencing of Christopher Saunders is available on the link below. KAC can print copy if requested.
Statement regarding the Christopher Saunders sentencing – ACBC MediaBlog