Former DUP Leader Jeffrey Donaldson Convicted of Child Sexual Offences

Jeffrey Donaldson, who led Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party until March 2024, was found guilty of child sexual offences including rape at Newry Crown Court on June 22, 2026. He faced 18 charges spanning indecent assault, gross indecency, and rape — allegations predating his leadership. His conviction destabilizes the DUP at a fragile moment for Stormont's power-sharing arrangement and reignites scrutiny of institutional accountability for historical abuse across Northern Ireland's political landscape.