Debate contribution: Jeffrey Donaldson: Sentencing

Debate contribution by Mrs Pam Cameron on 19 October 2026.

MLA: Mrs Pam Cameron
Party at the time: Democratic Unionist Party
Date: 19 October 2026
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Matter of the Day
Heading: Jeffrey Donaldson: Sentencing
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5795274

Text

I express my utter revulsion at the crimes of Jeffrey Donaldson. His conviction and sentencing have exposed horrific abuse inflicted on two children. There is no excuse for what he did. His actions were disgusting. They were vile, and the responsibility for those actions rests squarely with him. My thoughts are, first and foremost, with his victims. They have shown tremendous courage in coming forward and seeing the case through the courts under the most intense public scrutiny imaginable. Victim A said:
"My childhood was stolen from me and I will never get it back".
Victim B said:
"Nothing can ever change what was done to me".
Those words tell us more about the consequences of Jeffrey Donaldson's crimes than anything we could ever say in the Chamber. These were children who should have been safe. Instead, they were abused by someone whom they should have been able to trust. The thought that that individual will be released after serving seven-and-a-half years of a 15-year sentence is abhorrent to any right-thinking person. I recognise that the court must apply the law, but that does not lessen the deep concern that such an outcome causes. His victims will carry the impact of his crimes long beyond those years. For those of us who worked alongside him, there is profound disgust and a sense of betrayal. However, our focus today must be on the victims and on their needs. Their privacy must be respected and protected. Nobody has the right to identify them, speculate about their identities or circulate information that could expose them. That applies as much to social media as anywhere else. Those victims have already endured enough. At this point, I thank the police, the prosecutors and those who supported these women through the criminal justice process. That support did not end with sentencing. They must have access to the help that they need for as long as they need it. No political position, public reputation or personal connection should ever shield an abuser from justice. Jeffrey Donaldson is responsible for his crimes. His victims bear no blame and no shame. They deserved protection as children, and they deserve privacy, dignity and support now. Every one of us has a responsibility to respect that.

375 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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