A jury in Northern Ireland has heard harrowing details of the alleged rape of a child by former Democratic Unionist party (DUP) leader Jeffrey Donaldson. The complainant, referred to as Witness B, described the assault in a police interview played at Newry Crown Court on Tuesday, the sixth day of Donaldson’s trial for alleged sex offences.
Witness B’s Testimony
The now-adult complainant stated, “The actions that night I will never forget, what happened that night will live with me for ever.” In the interview, recorded in March 2024, she recounted feeling unable to confide in anyone as a child, adding, “I remember telling my imaginary friend.”
She detailed two alleged incidents, the first occurring while she was of primary school age. “I remember being really still and all I could hear was his breath,” she said, alleging Donaldson placed his hands down her pants. She recalled thinking, “Please, let this be it.” Describing the assault further, she noted, “I hated it yet I thought if I pretend to be asleep he’ll just stop and lose interest. I thought: what’s the point in shouting?” The next day, she felt “sick” and “anxious.”
The second alleged incident took place when she was in secondary school. “He lifted up my top and started playing with my breasts,” she said, claiming that Donaldson’s wife witnessed part of the incident and walked away.
Court Proceedings
Donaldson, 63, faces 18 charges including one count of rape, spanning from 1985 to 2008 and involving two alleged victims. His wife, Eleanor, 60, is charged with aiding and abetting rape and indecent assault but has been judged unfit to stand trial on mental health grounds. She faces a trial of the facts, which tests evidence without resulting in a criminal conviction. Both deny all charges.
During the hearing, Donaldson, wearing a dark blue suit, sat in the dock, took notes, and occasionally shook his head. Eleanor Donaldson was not present.
The complainant also revealed that as a teenager, a Christian centre brokered a meeting with Donaldson, during which he allegedly apologised “for what he had done to me in the past.”
Defence Cross-Examination
Kieran Vaughan, barrister for the former MP, challenged the complainant’s memory, noting she could not recall her age at the time of the alleged rape. He suggested the event did not happen and questioned why she did not tell anyone then. She replied, “It was my biggest mistake, not telling anybody back then. I regret that every day. I didn’t know the words, I knew it was wrong.”
The trial continues.
