https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-68686691
EDIT: Site has changed headline
Jeffrey Donaldson: DUP leader resigns after rape charge
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has been charged with rape and other historical sexual offences and has resigned as Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader.
A 57-year-old woman has also been charged with aiding and abetting in connection with the alleged offences.
They were both arrested on Thursday morning by PSNI detectives and were questioned before being charged on Thursday night.
Sir Jeffrey had said that he will be strenuously contesting the charges.
He and the 57-year-old woman are due to appear in court next month.
BBC News understands Sir Jeffrey has been charged with rape and multiple other sexual offences.
In a statement the DUP said: "The party chairman has received a letter from Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP confirming that he has been charged with allegations of an historical nature and indicating that he is stepping down as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party with immediate effect.
"In accordance with the party rules, the party officers have suspended Mr Donaldson from membership, pending the outcome of a judicial process.
"The Party Officers have this morning unanimously appointed Mr Gavin Robinson MP as the interim party leader."
Sir Jeffrey's letter to the DUP states he will be strenuously contesting the charges.
Police issued a statement on Friday morning, but did not disclose the identity of those charged.
The statement said a 61-year-old man had been charged with "non-recent sexual offences" adding that a 57-year-old woman was also arrested at the same time and charged with "aiding and abetting additional offences".
The statement also confirmed the pair would appear before Newry Magistrates' Court on 24 April.
The police investigation is understood to have started within the last number of months, after two women came forward.
It is understood DUP officers met on Friday morning after details of the charges emerged.
Sir Jeffrey's social media accounts, including on X, were deleted overnight.
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson was elected leader of the DUP in 2021.
He is also the longest serving MP in Northern Ireland having been first elected to Parliament in 1997.
Sir Jeffrey recently steered his party back in to government in Northern Ireland ending a two year boycott of the Stormont institutions.
The DUP had walked out of government in protest at the Northern Ireland Protocol, claiming the post-Brexit arrangements had undermined their place in the UK.
Sir Jeffrey was first elected to parliament in 1997 as a representative of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP).
In 2003, following long-standing opposition to the Good Friday Agreement and the leadership of David Trimble, he announced he would leave the UUP, later joining the DUP.
He was awarded a knighthood in 2016 for political service.
by SomewhatIrishfellow
28 comments
Reddit, always gets the news before it comes out in the mainstream media
RUH ROH RAGGY
Hot diggity dog.
Makes you wonder how many times and under what circumstances he’s been threatened with this information getting out to force him to play ball. Disgusting.
The SDLP, Sinn Féin, and Alliance, have had the same leader for the better part of the last decade while the DUP will have had a revolving door of 4 years in 3 years.
Next time you wonder what faction is causing instability in Northern Ireland keep that in mind.
I’m not surprised in the slightest, he’s always set my creep meter off. I guess the Irish language is an abomination but abusing kids is grand.
It’s charged not accused too, they have to have solid evidence. I hope he rots.
Who would have thought that someone who joined the DUP, a party which used paedophiles to advance the unionist cause, and someone who was Enoch Powell’s agent (another person linked with Kincora) was a sex offender himself…
I am shocked, shocked I tell you, that a party that buys into gays = groomers rhetoric has a leader that’s been charged with being a pest. This never happens
Anyone surprised?
Innocent until proven guilty and for the sake of legal ramification I’m making no statement about his character but if he is found guilty then the cunt needs buried.
What’s this Robinson guy like then? Does he think the earth is 6000 years old?
As a republican I’d like to thank the DUP for a united Ireland
how wonderful that a man who whined and tried to make a career opposing the good Friday agreement should be crucified on good Friday.
It’s an Easter miracle.
What a nasty nasty crime to be accused of.
Is the altercation on the plane last week linked to this in any way?
Why was this sweaty nonce given a nighthood?
It’s always the ones you most suspect
What is it with English politicians and their obsession with repeatedly knighting absolute wronguns?
The anti sex education crowd turn out to be nonces. Who would have guessed.
I think we’re all in agreement it is a Good Friday. One might say a Good Friday agreement.
I wonder if the plane story last week had something to do with this also?
Any legal beagles on here?
I’ve heard they only charge to court without going through the PPS when there is hard evidence? As opposed to a claimant coming forward.
So would this be a confession of guilt? Recording?
If it’s historical and it’s some kind of old documented evidence then that must mean someone sat on it until an opportune moment, which is sick af
A quote of Jeffrey about sex education:
> In February 2020, he claimed that sex and relationships education was being “taken over by ideologues and special interest groups who wish to promote their own agendas which in a number of cases are leading to serious child protection and safeguarding issues”.
A right-wing, conservative politician representing a puritanical attitude towards everything has been charged with sex offences?????
I’m shocked, truly shocked I tell you.
Obviousky first thought goes out to victims.
This is also shit for NI imo. Looked like Donaldson had made some cosmetic changes to agreement got enough buy in to get Stormont back. Now there will be someone else who will likely need to male some sort of stand to appeal to the shittiest members.of their party.
Is this the real reason perhaps why he didn’t take the deputy first minister job and Pengelly was slotted in?
I wonder if he can get a character reference from Prince Andrew