Northern Ireland’s Donaldson has entered a plea of not guilty to historical sex offenses

Jeffrey Donaldson, the former leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in Northern Ireland, entered a plea of not guilty on Tuesday to 18 charges that pertain to historical sex offenses, including one count of rape.

Newry Crown Court heard that his trial will commence on March 24.

In March, Donaldson, the leader of the largest unionist party in the British region, abruptly resigned from his position as the party’s leader after the DUP announced that he had been facing historical allegations. Donaldson is one of Northern Ireland’s most well-known politicians.

Among the charges are 13 counts of indecent assault on a female minor and four counts of gross indecency toward a child. Two complainants are implicated in the allegations, which purportedly occurred between 1985 and 2008.

At the hearing on Tuesday, Eleanor Donaldson, Donaldson’s wife, entered a plea of not guilty to three offenses, which included aiding and abetting rape.