Northern Ireland politician seeks to appeal convictions for child sex offenses

Former Northern Ireland politician Jeffrey Donaldson on Friday sought to appeal against his convictions for historic child sex offenses, his lawyer said.

The former leader of Northern Ireland's largest unionist party was found guilty last month on all charges — one of rape, 13 counts of indecent assault and four of gross indecency over a 23-year period against two women when they were children.

He is due to be sentenced at a later date.

Donaldson's lawyer John McBurney said in a statement that he had lodged appeal papers with Belfast's Court of Appeal on Friday.

Donaldson, 63, was one of Northern Ireland's best-known politicians when he was arrested and charged in March 2024. He immediately stepped down as head of the Democratic Unionist Party and last month asked for his knighthood from the British monarch to be renounced.

-Reporting by Amanda Ferguson, writing by Padraic Halpin, editing by Sam Tabahriti and Hugh Lawson/Reuters