A member of the Northern Ireland Assembly has called for an investigation into how much police knew about Jeffrey Donaldson’s crimes against children before official complaints were made.
Last week, the former DUP leader was convicted of 18 charges of historic sexual abuse, including one count of child rape, committed against two women, Complainant A and Complainant B.
A BBC Spotlight investigation has since revealed that a police detective and a safeguarding expert concluded Donaldson was a child abuser after they held an informal conversation with Complainant A.
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"Intelligence is not evidence, but we need to know that the intelligence wasn't actionable,” independent MLA Doug Beattie told the BBC.
"The other thing I'm really concerned about is if they had intelligence, who else did they pass it onto?"
North Antrim MP Jim Allister has also alleged that it is “inconceivable the [British] Government was unaware of his proclivities”, suggesting officials blackmailed the then DUP leader into endorsing the contentious Windsor Framework.
The Northern Ireland Office has dismissed the claim as “deeply distasteful and absolute nonsense”.
“Jim Allister of the TUV - that's a hardline unionist party - [has asked] were the police aware of this?” Allison Morris of the Belfast Telegraph told Newstalk Breakfast.
“And were the British Government aware of this when they were negotiating that Safeguarding the Union deal in relation to Brexit?
“There's a lot of unanswered questions about who knew what and when.
“Some people in the PSNI are telling me that it was a closely guarded secret and very few people knew.”
Jeffrey Donaldson with his wife Eleanor. Picture by: Alamy.com. Ms Morris added that people “can’t be sure” when the Chief Constable knew of the allegations against Donaldson, noting the two women made their first formal statements in early March 2024, just a few weeks before Donaldson’s arrest.
“The Chief Constable was in Washington along with Jeffrey Donaldson over St Patrick's Day that year and had to keep that quiet because obviously that investigation was ongoing,” she said.
“That must have been a very strange turn of events as well; so, there is a lot that needs explored.”
Jeffrey Donaldson. Picture by: Alamy.com. However, Ms Morris noted that Donaldson was treated “exactly the same” as any other suspect during his trial.
“As far as I could see covering that court case - and I was in court every single day of that four week trial - that the PSNI treated Jeffrey Donaldson as they would have treated anybody else facing such serious allegations of historical child abuse,” she said.
“He was not treated any better or any worse.”
The conviction of Donaldson means there now also political ramifications to be considered.
The DUP has commissioned a report into the former Lagan Valley MP’s offending to “ensure that there's no stone unturned in relation to the actions of Jeffrey Donaldson”.
“What did other members of the DUP know?” Ms Morris asked.
“What did members of the Ulster Unionist Party know? Because remember, Jeffrey Donaldson was a longstanding member of the Ulster Unionist Party before he defected in opposition of aspects of the Good Friday Agreement.”
Jeffrey Donaldson celebrates following his re-election in 2017. Picture by: Alamy.com. Finally, the SDLP has asked the DUP to reflect on the “grotesque hypocrisy” of their opposition to gay marriage, given the revelation in the BBC Spotlight documentary that Donaldson visited a gay sauna close to the Palace of Westminster.
“Donaldson preached Presbyterian puritanicalism, while also living what seemed to be quite a hedonistic and, some might argue, an immoral lifestyle while he was in London as an MP,” Ms Morris said.
Donaldson is due to be sentenced in September; he was written to the British Government, asking to forfeit his knighthood and membership of King Charles' Privy Council, which entitles him to the style 'Right Honourable'.
Main image: Jeffrey Donaldson. Picture by: Alamy.com.
