Tomás Ó Flatharta

All need to show unconditional solidarity with the two women who came forward in the rape case which led to Sir Jeffrey Donaldson resigning from the leadership of the Democratic Unionist party in the six-county bit of Ireland.

In the Easter Sunday 2024 edition of the Belfast Sunday Life tabloid Lady Eleanor Donaldson is named as the co-defendant in the Jeffrey Donaldson MP rape case. Jeffrey and Eleanor are a married couple.

Two women came forward to the state authorities with allegations categorised as “historical”.  In this context, what does the word “historical” mean, precisely? That is a very important question.

It could mean that two women came forward in 2024 making allegations about the “non-recent” behaviour of Sir Jeffrey and Lady Donaldson – and this was the first time the state authorities knew about these alleged incidents. A Six County state institution, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) claims that the police first heard these allegations “in early March”. We will soon see if this statement is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Initial use of the adjective “historical” is open to the interpretation that state authorities (not necessarily the police) were told about these allegations many years ago.

The parallel which comes to mind is a different 6 County case : the conviction of Liam Adams (late brother of ex Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams), who raped his very young daughter Áine. Áine’s mother left Liam in 1989 because of the father’s crime: 20 years later Áine and her mother went public in a television documentary made by the courageous investigative reporter Chris Moore.

This forced the hand of several adult actors and state institutions who knew all about the abuse; a few years later Liam Adams was convicted of his crimes, and spent the last years of his life in jail.

The background to the current Donaldson investigation is the track record and reputation of Six County and British state institutions dealing with politically sensitive criminal cases. In recent weeks six county state authorities covered themselves in shame over two related cases – they announced there would be no prosecutions over the role of British secret service agent Freddie Scappaticci in several serious murder cases. They also announced there would be no action over the killing of Derry GAA volunteer Seán Brown.

Sources :

No Prosecution over Freddie Scappaticci – British State Cover-up 2024

Sean Brown Cover-up- British State, 2024

John Meehan April 1 2024