Senior Catholic leader chop prison sentence say e abuse young men

Former Australian bishop Christopher Saunders don chop prison sentence sake of say im sexually abuse two young Aboriginal men wen e be Catholic priest.

Saunders bin resign as Bishop of Broome wen dem first accuse am of wrongdoing for 2020. Dem find am guilty of one charge of rape and 12 counts of indecent assault for August.

Di 76-year-old on Wednesday chop six and half years prison sentence but go fit comot on parole by February 2031.

E be one of di most senior Catholic leaders for di world wey go face sex abuse charges.

Im trial for di state of Western Australia hear say Saunders bin arrange and groom di two men well-well, sotay e invite dem to wetin im call "shirt-off" and go just sama dem wit booze, di lifestyle wey im dey use church money and property to fund.

Dem convict am say im dey kiss and molest men between 2010 and 2019, and one time like dat e force one of dem wit oral sex.

For victim impact statement wey dem give court, dat particular young man tok say e still dey hard am to tok wetin happun.

Di victim write say, "I be toy wey im just dey use. My head dey bang now, I dey in so much pain. I bin trust am. I bin tink say e want me to be beta pesin."

For di trial, dem cancel many child sex abuse charges and jury even acquit Saunders of alleged offence against di thirrd young man.

Saunders bin first dey ordained for 1976 as e spend most of im career for di hidden Kimberley region for di kontri north-west corner. Den for 1996, dem kon appoint am as Bishop of Broome.

Di diocese resemble di size of Turkey and get some of di most corner-corner areas for di kontri.

District Court Judge Martin Flynn tok say Saunders bin show imsef as advocate for young Aboriginal men but instead use im authority and exploit dem.

E bin "disregard di dignity" of im victims and cause dem long lasting pain.

For statement, Archbishop of Perth Timothy Costelloe tok say di men wey come out bin show beta backbone to find justice.

E tok say, "We dey sorry for di pain and suffering wey dem put for your head. We dey sorry say your trust bin dey so directly betrayed by leader of di church. No court sentence fit undo di suffering wey dey caused or restore wetin pipo don lose."

Dis accusations bin first come out for 2020, but di first police investigation bin close witout any charge.

But afta historic inquiry wey di Pope order, di police start new investigation.

Costelloe bin tok say di church investigation into Saunders - wey dem pause wen di police resume dia own - go start.

Di church dey face pressure to comot Saunders remaining title and ministry powers, dis na mata wey Archbishop tok say na Rome go make dat choice.

Na just small number of "Vos Estis Lux Mund"i wey mean "you be di light of di world" inquiries don happun world wide.

Di investigations na di Pope commission am and na for 2019 dem run am to handle di mata of sexual abuse and hold bishops and oda top Catholic Church leaders for trouser for dia actions.

Apart from di late Cardinal George Pell wey bin dey jail and den acquitted, Saunders go be di most senior Catholic leaders for di kontri wey go dey charged wit sex crimes.