Jeffrey Donaldson sentenced to 15 years for abusing two girls as children
Former Democratic Unionist Party leader Jeffrey Donaldson has been jailed for 15 years after being convicted of sexually abusing two women when they were children. The sentence follows a 23-year period of offending and matters because the case involved a prominent Northern Ireland politician who denied the charges and has said he will appeal.
Donaldson, 63, was convicted unanimously in July of 18 offences, including rape, indecent assault and gross indecency. Judge Paul Ramsey imposed consecutive terms of 11 years for offences against one victim and four years for those against the other, citing Donaldson’s continued denials and medium assessed risk of reoffending. His wife was found to have aided and abetted him but was too ill to stand trial; the DUP has launched an independent review, and Donaldson has been stripped of his knighthood.
- Jeffrey Donaldson received a 15-year prison sentence.
- He was convicted of 18 offences against two women as children.
- His wife was found to have aided and abetted him.
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Jeffrey Donaldson is a former leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, a major political party in Northern Ireland. He was a prominent figure in Northern Ireland politics, where questions of identity and the region’s constitutional future remain important.
The case concerns offences against two girls over a period of 23 years. Donaldson denied the charges, and his wife was found to have helped him; she was too ill to stand trial. The case has drawn attention to how allegations involving a senior public figure are handled, and to the party’s response.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson is jailed for 15 years for child sex abuse offences”.