Former DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson guilty of rape and child sex offences

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, the former leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, was found guilty today of 18 sexual offences against two women, including rape, committed when they were children. The 63-year-old, who dominated Unionist politics for decades, was convicted after a trial that heard how the abuse spanned years. His wife was also found to have “aided and abetted” the abuse by failing to intervene. The verdict marks a dramatic fall for one of Northern Ireland’s most powerful political figures, who led the DUP through critical periods of Brexit negotiations and power-sharing talks. Donaldson’s victims, now adults, spoke of the lasting trauma inflicted by a man who once commanded the highest levels of government. The court heard how the offences, committed decades ago, involved repeated assaults that left the victims feeling trapped. “He used his position of authority to dominate and control,” one of the women said in a statement read to the court. Donaldson now faces a lengthy prison sentence. The case has sent shockwaves through Northern Ireland’s political establishment, where Donaldson was once viewed as a stalwart of unionism. His wife, whose role in the abuse was described by the judge as “cowardly and enabling”, was also convicted. As the verdict was delivered, Donaldson showed no emotion, staring straight ahead. The judge adjourned sentencing for a date to be fixed, warning Donaldson that a substantial custodial term was inevitable. Outside the courthouse, one of the victims’ lawyers said: “Justice has been done, but the scars will never fully heal.”