Published date:
Commissioner Designate for Victims of Crime NI Geraldine Hanna said:
“The two victims who came forward to bring Jeffrey Donaldson to justice showed immense courage and fortitude to see the process through.
“I am sure it was an intensely difficult experience for them both and I hope they are both receiving the support they need.
“The question now is, how do we, as a society, react to this case?
“Will this story become a story about political fallout? Or will the focus remain where it should – on victims.
“Will we learn from this and see proactive steps to improve safeguarding and help prevent something like this happening again?
“Because while I have no doubt the DUP are right to carry out an independent review to identify any failures by their own organisation or individuals within it, the findings of any such review must be of interest to all organisations across Northern Ireland.
“Safeguarding must matter to us all. Protecting victim’s must matter to us all.
“We need victims to have confidence that we are building a society that genuinely cares about them, not one that simply pays lip service to their needs or, worse, treats them as a political football.
“The only way we can build that confidence is by proactively improving safeguarding and protecting the rights and needs of victims now and in the future.”