Jeffrey Donaldson Faces 18 Sex Abuse Charges as 4-Week Trial Opens With Jury Selection
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · May 25
Jeffrey Donaldson Faces 18 Sex Abuse Charges as 4-Week Trial Opens With Jury Selection
6 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 25
Newry Crown Court begins selecting a jury on Tuesday for former DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson’s trial over 18 alleged sex abuse offences, including one count of rape; he has pleaded not guilty.
Two alleged victims are involved, and prosecutors say the alleged offences span 1985 to 2008, covering rape, four counts of gross indecency and 13 counts of indecent assault.
Lady Eleanor Donaldson, 60, will face a trial of the facts on related aiding-and-abetting charges after a judge ruled her unfit for a conventional trial because of her health; she denies the allegations.
The case was delayed twice last year, and Donaldson—arrested and charged in March 2024—resigned as DUP leader the next day and later did not contest his parliamentary seat.
Can Northern Ireland's government survive the political fallout from this landmark trial?
What does justice mean in a trial that cannot result in a criminal conviction?