Northern Ireland’s former health minister Jim Wells has been questioned by police over alleged anti-gay remarks that led to him leaving his cabinet post.
Wells presented himself voluntarily to the Police Service of Northern Ireland station in Downpatrick, in his native South Down constituency, on Wednesday morning. He had written to the PSNI requesting a meeting about the matter.
It is understood the DUP assembly member was questioned for two hours about an incident during the general election campaign when he appeared link child abuse to homosexuality.
“You don’t bring a child up in a homosexual relationship. That child is far more likely to be abused and neglected,” Wells said at an election debate in South Down.
At the time the PSNI received a complaint about his remarks, and shortly afterwards he stood down as health minister.
A PSNI spokesman said: “A male has voluntarily attended Downpatrick PSNI station this morning by pre-arranged appointment in relation to numerous complaints received from members of the public regarding an incident on 23 April this year in Downpatrick.
“The male contacted local police to make arrangements to voluntarily attend and will continue to assist us with our inquiries in relation to this matter. At this time we are still examining the comments to establish if they constitute a criminal offence.”
Wells’s appearance at the PSNI station is unrelated to another incident during the election campaign when he was involved in verbal exchanges with a lesbian couple outside their home in Rathriland, Co Down. A report on this incident is said to be with Northern Ireland’s Public Prosecution Service.
