UUP to conduct safeguarding review after Jeffrey Donaldson’s child sex offences conviction

The Ulster Unionist Party has launched a safeguarding review into convicted paedophile Jeffrey Donaldson, covering the period of his 21-year membership of the party.It comes three months after the former DUP leader was found guilty of child sex offences, including rape.The crimes were committed against two women when they were children between 1985 and 2008.Donaldson was a member of the UUP from 1982 until his resignation in December 2003.READ MOREThe review is among a number of inquiries examining Donaldson’s actions in the workplace.It will provide a “confidential, independent and trauma-informed channel” for anyone with relevant information or experience to come forward, the UUP said.Information relating to alleged sexual misconduct, harassment, coercive or controlling behaviour, bullying, misogyny, intimidation, exploitation and abuse of status or authority will be among its “deliberately broad” scope.The review will be led by Anne Marks, a retired senior Police Service of Northern Ireland officer and independent trauma informed safeguarding consultant.Marks has more than 30 years’ frontline experience in trauma and victim-survivor support.Concerns reported to the party during the period of Donaldson’s membership and its response will be examined in her review, as well as the extent to which Donaldson’s “status and power” impacted on that response.Any relevant information will be reported directly to the PSNI, the UUP said.Victim-support groups including Women’s Aid, the Men’s Advisory Project, Nexus NI and the NI Survivor Council were consulted to shape the design of the review.UUP leader Jon Burrows described Donaldson’s conviction as one of the “most serious breaches of trust in public life in Northern Ireland”.“My first thoughts, today as ever, are with the two women whose courage brought his crimes into the light,” he said.“Jeffrey Donaldson was a member of the Ulster Unionist Party for 21 years. That fact carries an obligation. We owe it to the victims, and we owe it to the public, to establish honestly and independently whether there is anything the party should have known, should have acted upon or should have done differently during those years.“That is what this review is for. It is independent. It is led by one of the most experienced safeguarding professionals in Northern Ireland. It is confidential for anyone who comes forward, and it has a direct referral pathway to the police where the law requires. “Whatever it finds, this party will act upon its findings.”The UUP said it was committed to publishing the report “as far as legally possible”.Earlier this month, a Northern Ireland Assembly review into Donaldson’s conduct confirmed it had received no reports of inappropriate behaviour.It cautioned, however, that the conclusion was “necessarily limited”.An absence of reports or relevant records “does not determine that no incidents occurred”, an Assembly spokesperson said.Child safeguarding expert Jim Gamble is currently heading up a report commissioned by the DUP.It will provide an “independent and confidential facility” for members to come forward with “information, concerns or experiences” relating to Donaldson’s time as a party member, according to the DUP.The Northern Ireland civil service is asking staff to report any inappropriate behaviour during Donaldson’s time as a junior minister.