Former Australian bishop Christopher Saunders has been jailed for more than six years for sexually abusing young Aboriginal men in Western Australia.

A court handed down the sentence after finding Saunders guilty of the offences. The BBC reported that the victims were young men from Aboriginal communities.

The case drew wide attention in Australia. Saunders was once a senior figure in the Catholic Church in the country’s northwest.

The Guardian reported the sentence at more than six years in prison. Prosecutors had argued the abuse was a serious breach of trust.

The conviction closes a long-running case. Support groups for survivors said the sentence sends a message that no position shields an abuser from justice.

The sentencing followed a trial that examined allegations stretching back decades. The court heard how Saunders used his position of trust. Church officials have not yet commented on the verdict. Survivor advocates welcomed the outcome as long overdue. They said the sentence shows that seniority offers no protection when abuse is proven in court.