Ex-DUP leader Donaldson to be sentenced for child sex abuse including rape
Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson is set to be sentenced for 18 counts of child sex abuse, including rape. His wife was also found to have aided and abetted the offenses, leading to widespread institutional reviews within Northern Irish political parties.
Why it matters
The conviction of a high-profile political leader for serious crimes has triggered significant institutional scrutiny and safeguarding reviews across Northern Ireland's political landscape.
Image source, PA/ Liam McBurney By Adam Mandeville BBC News NI Published 45 minutes ago Former Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Jeffrey Donaldson is due to be sentenced for child sex abuse, including rape, on Thursday.
He was convicted in June of 18 counts of sex abuse , which he committed against two women when they were children.
Donaldson was previously told by judge Paul Ramsey that the sentence would be a lengthy one.
The 63-year-old, who has been held in Maghaberry Prison awaiting sentencing, is seeking to appeal his convictions .
His wife Eleanor Donaldson had faced a trial of the facts on mental health grounds, meaning the jury was asked to find out if she did the acts or did not do the acts of which she was accused. She did not participate in proceedings
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