Jeffrey Donaldson to be interviewed over alleged rape inside Houses of Parliament

Jeffrey Donaldson, the former leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), who is currently serving a prison sentence, is under investigation by London police over allegations that he raped a woman inside the Houses of Parliament. The BBC has revealed that the alleged incident took place in 2016, right at the center of the UK’s political landscape.

Donaldson was recently sentenced to 15 years in prison after being found guilty of multiple child sex offences involving two victims. These offences, including one count of rape, occurred between 1985 and 2008. He has announced his intention to appeal the convictions. The woman who has accused him of rape in Parliament has been interviewed by officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), who have since passed the information to the Metropolitan Police due to the incident’s location in London.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that they are investigating a 63-year-old man in connection with a rape allegation from 2016. A spokesperson said, “On Tuesday 13 October, the Met received a report referred to us by the Police Service of Northern Ireland relating to an allegation of rape in 2016, by a man now aged 63.” They added that the investigation is just beginning, there have been no arrests so far, and enquiries remain ongoing. The victim involved is being supported by specialist officers.

Earlier reports in July from the Belfast Telegraph detailed that the same woman accused Donaldson of sexually assaulting her in the DUP offices at Parliament the previous year. She described how he allegedly tried to get her to consume vodka shots, then attempted to kiss her and place his hand up her skirt. Subsequent news indicated that the Metropolitan Police planned to investigate and question Donaldson regarding these claims. Further revelations to the BBC indicated the woman also accused Donaldson of rape. Concerns regarding Donaldson’s conduct in London were featured in a BBC NI Spotlight programme earlier this year. Among others, former senior PSNI detectives involved in the investigation noted he had been seen intoxicated within the Houses of Parliament and reportedly had visited a gay sauna near Parliament in 2006, the same year Donaldson publicly described homosexuality as “sinful.

Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More