Alleged rape of girl ‘simply not true’, Jeffrey Donaldson tells trial
Jeffrey Donaldson denied rape and abuse allegations at his trial in Newry, calling them “simply not true.” He also rejected claims that his wife knew about or witnessed any abuse.
Intelligence analysis by GPT-5.4 Mini
The former DUP leader gave evidence in the third week of his sexual abuse trial and firmly denied the allegations against him. The case includes claims from two complainants and allegations that his wife helped or knew about the abuse, which he also rejected.
A former political leader is in court because two people say he hurt them long ago. He says he did not do it at all, like someone denying they broke a window even after others say they saw it.
Analysis
What happened
Jeffrey Donaldson, the former Democratic Unionist Party leader, testified in Newry Crown Court and denied the allegations against him. He said an accusation that he raped a girl years ago was “simply not true,” and he also rejected a claim that he touched the same complainant’s breasts.
Donaldson, 63, has pleaded not guilty to 18 alleged offences. The charges include rape, indecent assault, and gross indecency, with the allegations said to span 1985 to 2008 and involve two complainants referred to as witnesses A and B.
His defence
During questioning from his barrister, Donaldson said he did not accept any of the allegations from either complainant. He also addressed a 2020 letter he wrote to witness A, in which he expressed regret for the “hurt, pain and distress” he had caused. The defence says that letter was about another matter, not abuse, and Donaldson told the court it was “absolutely not” a reference to incidents of abuse.
He further rejected the suggestion that his wife knew about the alleged abuse or witnessed it without intervening. According to Donaldson, there was “nothing to know” because the abuse did not happen. He said his wife would have reacted immediately if anything like that had occurred.
Wider context
The trial has already heard evidence from both women, and Eleanor Donaldson faces separate proceedings on allegations of aiding and abetting. She denies the charges and has been found unfit to stand trial on mental health grounds. The trial continues.
Key points
- Donaldson denied that he raped a girl and said the allegation was “simply not true.”
- He also rejected a claim that he touched the same complainant’s breasts.
- He denied that his wife knew about or witnessed any abuse.
- The trial involves 18 alleged offences said to span 1985 to 2008 and two complainants.
- The court has already heard about a 2020 letter Donaldson wrote to one complainant, which the defence says was about another matter.
If the court accepts the complainants’ evidence, Donaldson could face conviction on serious sexual offence charges after a lengthy trial. The case could also deepen public scrutiny of how abuse allegations involving powerful figures were handled over many years.
