McDonald snubs Cahill email after ‘inadequate apology’ to rape victim
MARY Lou McDonald has failed to respond to an email from sex abuse victim Mairia Cahill, in which she rejected the Sinn Fein leader’s apology.
Ms Cahill sent a strongly worded email to Ms McDonald the day after the Sinn Fein leader issued a media statement apologising to the Belfast woman for her rape ordeal.
In an email dated September 14, Ms Cahill criticised what she described as Ms McDonald’s “inadequate apology”.
She questioned why Ms McDonald had not apologised in detail for the ordeal she was forced to endure when she came forward as a rape victim.
Ms Cahill asked why the Sinn Fein president had not referenced the alleged IRA investigation she was subjected to in the late 1990s.
Ms Cahill received an automated acknowledgement to the email she sent Ms McDonald, but has so far not received a personal response.
Sinn Fein did not respond when asked if the party leader planned to write back to Ms Cahill.
Ms McDonald’s apology followed the publication of a Police Ombudsman report into the PSNI’s handling of Ms Cahill’s
child abuse allegations. The report found serious failings in how police handled the investigation into her claims.
An unpublished report given to Ms Cahill by the Ombudsman said RUC intelligence suggested her alleged abuser, Martin Morris, was suspended from Sinn Fein as he was suspected of abusing children. RUC intelligence also suggested Mr Morris was brought before the Provisional IRA. Mr Morris denies abusing Ms Cahill.
Ms McDonald said she could not establish if Mr Morris was a party member because Sinn Fein’s “record keeping was not as it is now 20 years ago”. She also said she could not comment on RUC intelligence because she was not a “spook” or a “spy”.