Former Northern Ireland union leader ordered to face court over alleged sex offences

LONDON — A judge on Wednesday ordered the former leader of Northern Ireland's largest unionist party to stand trial on charges of rape and sexual offenses.

Former Democratic Unionist Party leader Jeffrey Donaldson, 61, is charged with rape, four counts of gross indecency and 13 counts of indecent assault between 1985 and 2008. The charges relate to two alleged victims.

His wife Eleanor Donaldson, 58, is accused of aiding and abetting the alleged crimes.

The two men did not enter pleas at a brief hearing at Newry Crown Court. Asked how he would respond to the charges, Donaldson said: “Not at this stage.”

The couple was released on bail until a preliminary hearing on September 10.

Donaldson resigned as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party after his arrest on March 28. In a letter to party leaders, Donaldson said he would “vigorously contest” the charges.

He also resigned as a lawmaker in the British Parliament ahead of Thursday's national election.

His resignation shocked the DUP, coming just months after the party agreed to return to power-sharing government in Northern Ireland after securing concessions on Britain's post-Brexit trade arrangements with the European Union.

As leader of the DUP between 2021 and 2023, he was the most powerful figure in Northern Ireland's unionist movement, which seeks to maintain the region's historic ties with the United Kingdom.