Pressure on DUP over same-sex child abuse comments by Jim Wells

The PSNI has confirmed it is investigating complaints against Northern Ireland Health Minister Jim Wells which are believed to have been made by a lesbian couple in Rathfriland, Co Down.

The police have received three complaints relating to a canvass the DUP candidate in South Down conducted in Rathfriland on Saturday evening.

It is alleged that Mr Wells was critical of the lifestyle of the couple; that he tried to return twice to the house to apologise for his remarks, but that on both occasions he was rebuffed.

A police spokesman said the PSNI was carrying out inquiries to determine if anything “illegal” had occurred.

Meanwhile, the DUP will come under further pressure today over Mr Wells’s controversial remarks linking same-sex couples to child abuse.

The Northern Assembly is due to discuss a Sinn Féin motion to legalise gay marriage.

While First Minister Peter Robinson and the DUP are standing by Mr Wells, there is concern among party strategists that the issue could dissuade more liberal unionists from voting for the DUP in key marginal constituencies.

In particular the DUP believed it had a good chance of junior minister Jonathan Bell taking SDLP leader Dr Alasdair McDonnell's seat in South Belfast, while it will require unionist support to regain the East Belfast seat Mr Robinson lost to Alliance's Naomi Long in 2010.

There is now a fear that centre-ground unionists who had been considering voting for Mr Bell and DUP candidate Gavin Robinson in East Belfast may change their minds.

Today’s debate is likely to lead to further assaults on the party over its defence of Mr Wells. There were several calls for his resignation after he said on Thursday night: “The facts show that certainly you don’t bring a child up in a homosexual relationship, that a child is far more likely to be abused and neglected.”

Legal entitlements

The motion calls for legislation so “all citizens will have the same legal entitlement to the protections, responsibilities, rights, obligations and benefits afforded by the legal institution of marriage”.

This will be the fourth time in two and a half years that the Assembly has debated same-sex marriage. The previous three motions were rejected. Sinn Féin, the SDLP, most Alliance members and some unionists are likely to support the motion. In the last debate in April 2014, unionist and some Alliance members defeated the motion. That may happen again today. Moreover, the DUP has sufficient numbers in the Assembly to table a petition of concern, which would nullify the motion even if it were passed.

While Mr Wells has apologised and insisted that the remarks did not represent his views or that of his party, he faced several calls for his resignation. The latest demand came from Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams who said that "in any other administration a Minister would have to leave after such remarks".

On Friday East Derry DUP MP Gregory Campbell accused Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness of "hypocrisy" after he made a similar call on Mr Wells, also calling him an "IRA apologist". Asked about this Mr Adams said the IRA had apologised for some actions and that he and Mr McGuinness and Mr Kelly had also issued apologies. "Unionist leaders have never acknowledged [the part] the unionist ruling class has played both in creating the conditions for conflict and sustaining the conflict."