Eleanor Donaldson given supervision order and placed on sex offenders' register

A judge at Newry Crown Court imposed a three-year supervision and treatment order on Eleanor Donaldson, 60, and placed her on the sex offenders register for five years, The Irish Times reported. The order was made at a hearing on Friday, November 13, 2026, where Judge Paul Ramsey explained the decision to Donaldson via video-link alongside her solicitor. She nodded and said "yes" when asked if she understood the outcome, according to RTE.ie and Sky News.

Donaldson was prosecuted under a trial of the facts after being deemed medically unfit to stand trial on mental health grounds. Unlike a conventional trial, she could not be found guilty, but a jury unanimously agreed she had done the acts charged: four counts of aiding and abetting her husband's offending and one count of child cruelty, The Irish Times reported. The court heard that three of the aiding and abetting counts related to the rape of a primary school child. Prosecution barrister Rosemary Walsh said the evidence showed Donaldson had directed the victim, known as Complainant B, into the room where she knew serious sexual offending would occur.

Both victims, now adults, were present in court for the hearing. Extracts from their victim impact statements were read, with Complainant A saying the abuse had a "profound" impact and she "cannot comprehend not wanting to protect a child," and Complainant B saying she had questioned "what did I do wrong that you didn't make it stop?" according to The Irish Times.

Jeffrey Donaldson, 63, the former DUP leader and MP, was convicted in June of 18 sex offences, including one count of rape, 13 counts of indecent assault on a female, and four counts of gross indecency with or towards a child, committed against two women when they were children between 1985 and 2008. He was sentenced last month to 15 years in prison, but with automatic 50 per cent remission will serve 7½ years in custody and the remainder on licence, The Irish Times and RTE.ie reported. He is appealing his conviction.

The supervision and treatment order will place Eleanor Donaldson under the supervision of a social worker attached to the Craigavon Community Mental Health Team, requiring her to attend appointments, submit to treatment, and allow home visits, Sky News reported. Judge Ramsey said expert medical evidence from two clinicians made the order "inevitable" and the most appropriate disposal, according to RTE.ie.

Bronagh Muldoon, assistant director for the NSPCC in Northern Ireland, said it was "right and important" that Donaldson's role in her husband's offending was recognised in court. She praised the victims' bravery and urged anyone who has suffered child sexual abuse to come forward, according to RTE.ie and Sky News.

Following the case, it was announced that a senior judge will review the law around trial of facts in Northern Ireland. Sir John Gillen will examine the law and procedures on unfitness to plead and trial of facts, RTE.ie and Sky News reported.