Northern Ireland Office says there's 'no evidence' it was told about Jeffrey Donaldson in 2023
There is “no evidence” that the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) was made aware of intelligence that Jeffrey Donaldson was potentially involved in child sex abuse in the year before his arrest, the government has said.
Hilary Benn’s department was responding to questions raised by the independent unionist MLA Doug Beattie, after reports that a senior police officer may have had intelligence on the matter in 2023.
Donaldson, then the leader of the DUP, was arrested and charged with a string of child sex offences the following year.
Mr Beattie and the TUV leader have questioned what the government knew about the matter – with Jim Allister questioning whether it could have been used to put pressure on the disgraced former DUP boss to do a deal on the Irish Sea border in January 2024.
A BBC investigation was told that a detective identified Donaldson after speaking to the victim, known in the recent sex abuse trial as Complainant A.
At the weekend, Doug Beattie questioned whether the NIO was made aware of this intelligence.
He said: “Of particular concern are suggestions that a senior safeguarding officer within the PSNI may have held intelligence relating to Donaldson’s behaviour up to a year before his arrest. While it is understood that intelligence does not in itself constitute evidence, this raises fundamental and legitimate questions”.
He queried whether concerns had been communicated to the Northern Ireland Office. The News Letter asked the NIO about the comments, and asked whether it was aware of such intelligence, and whether that was then passed on to the Prime Minister.
A Northern Ireland Office spokesperson said: "The crimes committed by Jeffrey Donaldson are heinous and shocking. Our thoughts are with the victims of his abuse and we pay tribute to them for their courage in coming forward to give evidence.
“There is absolutely no evidence that anybody in the NIO was made aware of any such allegations”.
In response, Mr Beattie said the Police Ombudsman’s Office has confirmed it will examine a request he made on the matter.
“If it is established that the PSNI held actionable intelligence, it is difficult to understand how the Northern Ireland Office would not have been informed, either formally or informally.
“Until the Ombudsman has full access to the relevant information, it is hard to reconcile that position with the assurances currently being given by the NIO”, the Upper Bann MLA told the News Letter.