Police carry out fresh search warrant at the home of former Bishop of Broome Christopher Saunders

Police have charged former Bishop of Broome Christopher Saunders with new offences as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged child sexual abuse. It follows news that a fresh search warrant was executed at the former bishop’s home in Broome. The warrant was confirmed by WA’s top cop, Col Blanch, on Wednesday. 7NEWS first revealed on February 21 that Bishop Saunders, 74, had been arrested at his Broome home by child abuse squad detectives. After spending the night in custody, the 74-year-old was charged with two counts of sexual penetration without consent, 14 counts of unlawful and indecent assault, and three counts of a person in authority indecently dealing with a child. But in a statement issued on Wednesday, WA Police said it had charged a 74-year-old man with two counts of unlawful and indecent assault as a result of their investigation into alleged historical sexual offences. The West Australian has confirmed that the 74-year-old in question is Bishop Saunders. “It will be alleged in 2016, the man sexually assaulted a man who was 21 or 22 years old at the time of the offence,” the police statement said. The new charges will come before the Broome Magistrates Court on June 17. Earlier on Wednesday, WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said a new search warrant had been carried out at the former bishop’s home. “Investigations have been ongoing … and in fact (we have) executed more search warrants today,” Mr Blanch said. “Its in process right now. “Whilst there are matters before the court, we have executed another search warrant today in Broome on the same premises as a result of further investigations.” A neighbour of the former bishop — who only wanted to be known as James — confirmed he saw many police officers outside the 74-year-old’s home on Wednesday morning at about 7:30am. “I came home, then went outside 10 minutes later, and there was a marked police car in the driveway,” James said. “Standing next to the gate were two armed officers and four unmarked detective cars lined up along the front here.” Bishop Saunders’ lawyer, Seamus Rafferty, has already indicated his client would plead not guilty to the original charges. At Bishop Saunders’ first court appearance in Broome, Mr Rafferty requested a suppression order restricting media coverage of proceedings, telling the court the reporting had jeopardised his client’s right to a fair trial. Magistrate Deen Potter granted a temporary suppression order, but at a special hearing in Broome Magistrates Court on March 1, Mr Potter ruled that it should be lifted on the basis of “open justice.” “Going forward, in my view, there are sufficient safeguards in place (that will) ensure the interests of ... a fair trial,” he said. The ruling allows all the details of the proceedings to be published, including additional charges of inadequate storage of a firearm and holding a firearm without a licence. The court heard the alleged sexual offending Bishop Saunders stands accused of occurred between March 2008 and March 2014 in Broome, Kununurra and Kalumburu. Bishop Saunders, 74, was also allegedly found with more than 1200 rounds of ammunition and a shotgun in his Broome home in December 2023. He is due back in court for a committal mention on June 17 and remains on bail. The retired cleric has always denied all the allegations relating to the sex offence charges. Since the acquittal of Cardinal George Pell in the High Court in 2020, Bishop Saunders has become the highest-ranked Catholic in the country to face a sex crimes prosecution. It is believed he may be the highest-ranked official of any religion in Australia to face such serious accusations. Bishop Saunders was ordained as a priest in 1976 and moved full-time to the Kimberley region before becoming a Bishop in 1996. He resigned from his position in Broome in August 2021 but has retained his title and entitlements.