Claims extracted
26
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
0%
0 of 26 hedged
("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
Leans left
of the writing, not the subject · beta estimate
Publisher signals
68/100
ABC News (AU)'s corrections and
hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
11
Crime & Law
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Albert Wiggan describes the jailing of disgraced bishop Christopher Saunders as like "cutting off the head of a snake".
asserted
Wiggan → describe → snake
The Aboriginal community leader describes the Catholic cleric as an "evil predator" and is urging people to call out sex abusers.
"They’ve exposed this bloke for who he is," Mr Wiggan said.
asserted
Wiggan → describe → bloke
"But the community has to become more vigilant about exposing this type of behaviour."
asserted
community → have → behaviour
Mr Wiggan says he knew Saunders since childhood, but had never experienced inappropriate behaviour.
asserted
he → say → behaviour
But he feels deeply for those who did, describing a sense of betrayal that is still sinking in.
asserted
that → feel → betrayal
It is a call for action echoed by current Bishop of Broome Tim Norton, who concedes the Catholic Church has been too slow to act.
asserted
Church → echo → Norton
"As a church I hope we are learning in this very deep and difficult process," Bishop Norton said.
asserted
Norton → hope → process
"I sense we are but it's a slow pace.
asserted
it → sense → ?
It needs to be a lot faster."
Used to be known as a 'hero'
Once a trusted member of the community, the bishop was sentenced to more than six years prison on Wednesday for sexually assaulting two young men.
The evidence laid bare during a three-week trial was a far cry from the "hero" character Albert Wiggan was once told about as a child.
"There was folklore about him ... we know about him through stories our parents would share," Mr Wiggan said.
asserted
Wiggan → need → stories
He said families in remote Aboriginal communities grew to trust him with the people they loved most.
asserted
they → say → people
"It makes him incredibly evil in a way ... he did a really good job of convincing people he was a good person,"Mr Wiggan said.
asserted
Wiggan → make → people
Saunders first arrived at the Broome Diocese in 1975, where he stayed for five decades.
asserted
he → arrive → decades
Community leaders like Mr Wiggan says the church should have been faster to act when he started to betray their trust.
asserted
he → say → trust
New bishop joins call
It is a sentiment shared by Bishop Norton, who said the church's abuse of power in the Kimberley was "inexcusable".
asserted
abuse → join → Kimberley
"Being in a place that is remote and even forgotten about by a lot of Australia ... that has been allowed to go on for too long," he said.
asserted
he → forget → Australia
"There aren't really words we have to describe the levels of hurt and pain people are suffering.
asserted
people → be → hurt
Despite being found guilty, no action has been taken by the Catholic Church to defrock Saunders, meaning he has kept his honorary titles and the benefits of a retirement package negotiated in 2021.
asserted
he → find → 2021
A lasting impact
Human rights advocate and Noongar woman Dr Hannah McGlade said the six-year sentence was a positive outcome, but the church still needed to take responsibility for the harm inflicted.
asserted
church → last → harm
The Curtin University Associate Professor said the lasting impacts of institutional abuse continued to impact men, women and children today.
"
asserted
impacts → say → men
It's well known that for Aboriginal men, the stigma is particularly severe and it's not safe to talk about sexual abuse,"Dr McGlade said.
asserted
McGlade → know → men
"Without proper healing and intervention, the cycles have unfortunately sometimes continued with men who were once victims becoming perpetrators."
The Kimberley region has some of the highest rates of suicide and self-harm in Australia, and the highest rates of family violence in the state.
asserted
region → continue → state
Hope for the future
Back in Broome, Bishop Norton said the deep and lasting nature of the case was "tremendous" but he was committed to moving forward with the community.
asserted
he → say → community
"What I have learned here is people in the Kimberley are certainly bruised and hurt by this whole event, but the resilience I've encountered here is extraordinary," he said.
asserted
he → learn → event
The church will hold healing and reconciliation sessions in Broome open to everyone in the community, not just members of the church.
asserted
church → hold → church
Albert Wiggan said he hoped the court sentence would help to provide more survivors of sexual abuse with the strength to come forward.
"It really does give victims of this kind of abuse hope and an opportunity to get the justice they truly deserve,"he said.
asserted
they → say → justice
"I hope there will be more brave people out there and more people who come out and share their story because it needs to happen."
asserted
it → hope → story
The Aporia
