Arabic version: جيفري دونالدسون ينفي جميع الاتهامات في محاكمة الاعتداء المستمرة

Former Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has taken the witness stand at his trial on sex abuse charges. According to BBC News, Donaldson, 63, denies 18 charges of sexual abuse allegedly committed between 1985 and 2008.

During his testimony, Donaldson was questioned by his defence barrister, Kieran Vaughan KC, about the claims made by two women who reported their allegations to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) in March 2024. Donaldson firmly stated, “No” when asked if he accepted any of the abuse claims.

The trial has revealed that in 2020, Donaldson wrote a letter to one of the alleged victims, Complainant A, expressing “regret” for the “hurt, pain and distress” he had caused her. However, he insisted that the letter was not an apology related to abuse. “Absolutely not,” he emphasized, asserting that he would never have done anything of that nature.

In response to allegations from Complainant B, including a rape claim, Donaldson described the accusations as “simply not true” and “unbelievable.” He refuted claims that he had inappropriately interacted with Complainant B, asserting that his wife would have intervened had such an incident occurred.

The trial, now in its third week, continues with Donaldson denying all allegations of gross indecency and indecent assault against Complainant A, who was a child at the time of the alleged incidents. Additionally, his wife, Lady Eleanor Donaldson, denies five charges of aiding and abetting his alleged offending but is currently unfit for a conventional trial due to mental health reasons.