Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson to be interviewed by Met Police over alleged 2016 rape

Former Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Jeffrey Donaldson is to be interviewed by London's Metropolitan Police over an alleged rape inside the Houses of Parliament in 2016, the BBC reported on 21 October 2026.

The Metropolitan Police (the Met) said it is investigating a 63-year-old man over the alleged rape. The force's statement did not name the former MP, and confirmed only the age of the man being investigated. The case was referred to the Met by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), the force responsible for policing in Northern Ireland, and the Met received the referral on 13 October.

The Met said the investigation is at an early stage, that no arrests have been made and that enquiries are ongoing. The allegation concerns one victim, who is being supported by specialist officers.

The case first became public in July, when the Belfast Telegraph reported that a woman from Northern Ireland alleged Donaldson sexually assaulted her in DUP offices at Parliament in 2016. The Telegraph reported on 21 October that Donaldson is to be interviewed by the Met over an alleged incident in Westminster in the same year.