Stormont review receives no reports of inappropriate behaviour by Jeffrey Donaldson
Absence of reports or records ‘does not’ mean no incidents involving ex-DUP leader occurred, says Assembly spokesperson
An examination by the Northern Ireland Assembly following Jeffrey Donaldson's conviction for historical sex offences found no pertinent information. Donaldson, a former DUP leader and elected Stormont Assembly member, was convicted in Newry Crown Court for 18 sex offences, including rape, committed between 1985 and 2008. Currently serving his sentence at Maghaberry prison, Donaldson's tenure as an MLA ended in 2010 and as an MP in 2024.
The Assembly conducted the review upon his conviction to uncover any additional incidents. Launched in July, the review encompassed public and internal communications, a confidential contact route, support provisions, and searches of relevant Assembly Commission records. Despite these measures, the review concluded with no relevant information identified.
Speaker Edwin Poots initiated the review to allow past or present MLA members, staff members, or other parliament building users to report abuse or inappropriate behavior. The review received no reports through the contact route or uncovered any relevant information from the internal search. Consequently, the report concludes that no matter arose within the review's scope requiring further investigation or referral to the PSNI or another statutory agency.
The absence of reports or records does not establish that no incidents occurred within the review's parameters. The dedicated review contact route will be closed following publication. Any future criminal matter reports should be directed to the PSNI directly.
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