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A year prior to his formal identification by police, suspicions arose that Jeffrey Donaldson might be secretly involved in child abuse, according to claims revealed in a BBC investigation. The suspicion originated from a police detective and a child safeguarding expert who recognized Donaldson as a potential abuser after speaking with a victim, identified as Complainant A during a recent sexual abuse trial.
A former high-ranking police official told the BBC that any such suspicions should have been escalated to the chief constable for further action. However, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) declined to comment on the matter, citing ongoing legal proceedings. Donaldson is currently awaiting sentencing later this year.
In March 2023, Complainant A and her partner met with a detective chief inspector (DCI) and Dr. Jacqui Montgomery-Devlin, then head of safeguarding at the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, at the church’s headquarters. The couple sought to understand how to report abuse. During this meeting, Complainant A did not directly name Donaldson as her abuser, only doing so to police in 2024. Nonetheless, Dr. Montgomery-Devlin later told the BBC’s Spotlight programme that she and the DCI strongly suspected that the woman was describing Donaldson.
The DCI explained, “That information would have become what we call intelligence that indicated that Jeffrey Donaldson was alleged to have committed sex abuse.” Highlighting Donaldson’s prominence as a politician and his access to vulnerable individuals, the officer insisted that such intelligence should have been communicated to the chief constable. If deemed necessary, the chief constable would have had an obligation to notify the government, especially if there were concerns about national security related to the leadership of the DUP. Both Complainant A and another victim, Complainant B, formally named Donaldson as their abuser in a police meeting in March 2024. When questioned by Spotlight about any prior intelligence regarding Donaldson and the resulting risk assessments, the PSNI reiterated they were unable to comment due to ongoing legal processes.
The victims’ testimonies detailed abuse spanning from 1985 to 2008, leading to Donaldson facing 18 charges including one count of rape. He remains in custody awaiting sentencing. Meanwhile, Lady Eleanor Donaldson, his wife, faced a trial of the facts related to mental health, wherein the jury was asked to determine if she had committed the acts she was accused of. They concluded she was responsible for all five charges, including four counts of aiding and abetting her husband’s criminal activities
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