Jeffrey Donaldson, the former leader of Northern Ireland’s largest unionist party, was convicted Monday in Newry Crown Court on multiple charges of rape and sex abuse involving two girls dating from 1985 to 2008. He was found guilty of one count of rape, four counts of gross indecency, and 13 counts of indecent assault.
Donaldson, 63, who had been a leading voice advocating for Northern Ireland's ties with the United Kingdom, resigned as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and relinquished his seat in the U.K. Parliament following his arrest two years ago.
During the trial, Donaldson testified and denied all allegations, stating he was certain he did not commit the rape of one of the complainants when she was a child decades ago. He asserted, "It just didn’t happen, I am absolutely crystal clear about that. It is not something I would ever have done, it is just simply not true."
The two complainants testified that Donaldson groped them when they were around primary school age. The elder complainant, referred to as Complainant B, stated that Donaldson raped her.
Complainant B testified that Donaldson apologized in the 1990s for "what had happened in the past" during a meeting at a Christian center. Donaldson maintained this apology was for making her uncomfortable.
In 2020, Donaldson wrote a letter to Complainant A expressing regret for "hurt, pain and distress" he had caused, though he claimed this referred to other behaviors and not sex abuse allegations. He wrote, "I know how deep the wounds are caused by my sinful and selfish actions," and expressed hope that God would "lift a sinner out of the deep pit of sin."
Donaldson's wife, Eleanor Donaldson, was found to have aided and abetted her husband's offenses by witnessing the abuse without intervening. Due to mental health issues, she faced a fact-finding hearing that did not result in a conviction.