Former DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson found guilty of rape and indecent assault
A jury found he abused two women as children, and the judge said a lengthy prison sentence was inevitable.
- On Monday, a Newry Crown Court jury convicted former Democratic Unionist Party leader Jeffrey Donaldson of 18 historical sexual offences, including rape and indecent assault, involving two girls between 1985 and 2008.
- Donaldson, 63, previously served as Northern Ireland's longest-serving lawmaker and led the DUP until his March 2024 arrest; he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 2016 before vacating his Parliament seat.
- During the trial, Donaldson testified he was "crystal clear" he did not rape the complainant, yet a 2020 letter showed he wrote he regretted the "hurt, pain and distress" he caused.
- A separate trial of the facts found that Eleanor, Donaldson's wife, aided and abetted the crimes, though the court ruled her unfit to stand trial last month due to mental health issues.
- Remanded in custody following Monday's verdict, the former lawmaker will be sentenced on September 25, concluding a career defined by his role as a leading advocate for maintaining historic ties with the United Kingdom.
71 Articles
71 Articles
Former DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson guilty of child sexual offences, including rape
Former DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson dominated Unionist politics for decades. Today, he was found guilty of rape and sex abuse charges involving two women, dating back decades. The 63-year-old was convicted of 18 offences against the victims when they were children – while his wife was found to have “aided and abetted” the abuse by failing to intervene. If you or anyone you know has been affected by the issues raised in this report you can fi…
In Northern Ireland, the former chairman of the pro-British party DUP, Donaldson, has been convicted of sexual abuse by minors.
Jeffrey Donaldson, former leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, was found guilty of 18 sexual crimes against minors, after four weeks of hearings. The sentence will be read in September.
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