The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is facing calls for more transparency regarding its internal safety and safeguarding rules following the criminal conviction of its former leader, Jeffrey Donaldson.

由於前黨魁 Jeffrey Donaldson 被判刑事罪名成立，民主統一黨 (DUP) 正面臨要求提高其內部安全與保障規則透明度的呼籲。

The current political crisis was caused by the conviction of Jeffrey Donaldson on 18 counts of sexual abuse, including one count of rape. Although the DUP claims it acted quickly once formal charges were made in 2024, reports suggest that senior members knew about the misconduct earlier. For example, evidence shows that five years ago, Ian Paisley Jr. told then-leader Edwin Poots about allegations involving a young woman. Mr. Poots has asserted that the party simply followed the victim's wish not to make a formal report.

目前的政治危機是由於 Jeffrey Donaldson 被判 18 項性虐待罪名（包括一項強姦罪）而引起的。雖然 DUP 聲稱在 2024 年正式起訴後迅速採取行動，但報告指出高層早前已得知此類不當行為。例如，證據顯示五年前，Ian Paisley Jr. 曾向當時的黨魁 Edwin Poots 告知涉及一名年輕女性的指控。Poots 先生則堅稱，黨內僅是遵循受害者不想正式舉報的意願。

Furthermore, new allegations have highlighted a gap between Mr. Donaldson's public moral views and his private behavior. Reports mention incidents of public drunkenness during official trips, as well as a 2006 police observation of him entering a gay sauna. Consequently, critics have accused the party of hypocrisy, suggesting that winning elections was more important than protecting victims.

此外，新的指控凸顯了 Donaldson 先生的公開道德觀與私人行為之間的差距。報告提到他在官方行程期間有公開醉酒的情況，以及 2006 年被警方觀察到進入同性戀桑拿房。因此，批評者指責該黨虛偽，認為贏得選舉比保護受害者更重要。

In response, DUP leader Gavin Robinson admitted that information was not shared through the correct internal channels, which prevented the party from responding formally. While the DUP has ordered an independent review, other political groups are skeptical. The Alliance Party and Sinn Féin have argued that a review ordered by the party itself is not impartial enough to regain public trust. Instead, they are demanding a fully external investigation to ensure full accountability.

作為回應，DUP 黨魁 Gavin Robinson 承認資訊未透過正確的內部渠道分享，導致該黨無法正式回應。雖然 DUP 已下令進行獨立審查，但其他政治團體表示懷疑。同盟黨 (Alliance Party) 與 Sinn Féin 認為，由該黨自行下令的審查不夠公正，無法重建公眾信任。相反，他們要求進行完全外部的調查，以確保全面問責。

The DUP is currently carrying out an internal review, but it continues to face strong pressure from other parties for a more transparent, external audit of its safeguarding failures.

DUP 目前正在進行內部審查，但持續面臨其他政黨的強大壓力，要求對其保障失敗地進行更透明的外部審計。