BBC News Headline: Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson to be sentenced for child sex abuse convictions
BBC Homepage
Accessibility Help
Your account
Home
News
Sport
Earth
Reel
Worklife
Travel
Culture
Future
Music
TV
Weather
Sounds
Search BBC
Home
Climate
World
UK
Business
Tech
Science
Entertainment & Arts
Health
In Pictures
More
BBC Verify
Newsbeat
N. Ireland
N. Ireland Politics
Ex-DUP leader Donaldson to be sentenced for child sex abuse including rape
Image source: PA/ Liam McBurney
By Adam Mandeville
BBC News NI
Published 43 minutes ago
Former Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Jeffrey Donaldson is due to be sentenced for child sex abuse, including rape, on Thursday. He was convicted in June of 18 counts of sex abuse, which he committed against two women when they were children.
Judge Paul Ramsey previously told Donaldson that the sentence would be lengthy. The 63-year-old, who has been held in Maghaberry Prison awaiting sentencing, is seeking to appeal his convictions.
His wife Eleanor Donaldson, who faced a trial of the facts on mental health grounds, was found guilty of aiding and abetting her husband's offending.
In the wake of Donaldson's conviction:
- The DUP launched an independent review into "a number of issues arising".
- The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) conducted an independent safeguarding review.
- In July, Donaldson was stripped of his knighthood by the King.
- A review by the Northern Ireland Assembly into Donaldson's conduct found "no relevant information" requiring further investigation.
Who is Jeffrey Donaldson?
Donaldson's political career began in 1985 as an MLA for the UUP in South Down. He became an MP for Lagan Valley in 1997 and remained an MP until 2024. He defected to the DUP in 2003.
He was awarded a knighthood in the 2016 Queen's Birthday Honours list and became DUP leader in 2021. He resigned from this position and forfeited his knighthood after being charged with historical sexual offences in March 2024. He was found guilty of all charges in June 2026.