Rape victim slams Adams for accusing Irish police of leaking list of IRA abusers
A WOMAN who was sexually assaulted by a republican has hit out at Gerry Adams after learning that he has complained to Dublin’s policing watchdog claiming that the Garda had leaked to the media the names of suspected IRA sex offenders supplied by Sinn Fein to the force.
The Sinn Fein leader wants anyone found to have leaked the names to be identified and punished, according to reports in the Republic’s media.
But last night Mairia Cahill, who has accused the IRA of covering up her rape and then organising a kangaroo court in which she was forced to meet her attacker, told the Belfast Telegraph she was disgusted by the complaint, describing it as a bid to smear the Garda and make himself appear the victim.
“Gerry Adams has a hell of a cheek to complain to the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission over supposed Garda leaks of alleged IRA abusers’ names he says he gave to them,” Ms Cahill said.
“Firstly, it took me going public at considerable personal and emotional cost to force Sinn Fein to admit that the IRA investigated cases of abuse.
“Until that point, Sinn Fein were publicly saying the claims were ‘unfounded and untrue’.
“I felt I was left in the position where I had to waive anonymity to expose the issue and pit myself against a powerful republican machine, which sought to smear me and repeatedly attack my credibility.”
In 2014, as pressure from Ms
Cahill and others grew, Mr Adams — through a Sinn Fein child protection officer — supplied names of suspects to police in the Republic.
He said at the time that the list had been put anonymously though the letterbox of his home.
Ms Cahill said that she also had passed names of IRA child abuse suspects to the Garda,
“I passed every name which came to me to the Garda. I know the Garda did not leak these as there were politically sensitive names included, which never made it into the public domain.
“I am not aware of who was on Adams’ list. However, I know that there was a likely crossover due to the fact that a lot of people privately came forward at that time and since with corroborating information on cases.
“He now, by making a complaint to the Garda Siochana Ombudsman, is attempting to make himself the victim in this.
“The Garda dealt professionally with a very traumatic issue — and to have Adams attempt to smear them by rewriting history is disgusting.”