Cahill ‘not optimistic’ ahead of meeting with SF leader
MAIRIA Cahill has said she is “not optimistic” ahead of a meeting with Sinn Fein president Mary-Lou McDonald today.
The republican chief is meeting Ms Cahill in Dublin to discuss her alleged abuse and the findings of a Police Ombudsman inquiry into how the case was handled by the PSNI.
The probe revealed that Sinn Fein members “did not co-operate” fully with officers.
Ms Cahill, a great-niece of prominent Belfast republican Joe Cahill, claimed she was sexually abused as a 16-year-old by alleged IRA member Martin Morris.
Mr Morris, who denied all wrongdoing, was later acquitted of rape and IRA membership when the case against him collapsed.
Ms Cahill alleged she was subjected to an IRA interrogation over her claims.
She has accused Sinn Fein of engaging in a cover-up.
In October 2014, Ms McDonald insisted that Sinn Fein had co-operated with the police investigation into Ms Cahill’s case and said it was “unfair” of Ms Cahill to “cast a slur” that the party covered up abuse.
She recently “unreservedly apologised” to Ms Cahill and said she “deeply regrets” that Sinn Fein did not have mandatory reporting procedures in place at the time of Ms Cahill’s ordeal.
But she also said she had “no regrets” over her handling of Ms Cahill’s case.
Last night Ms Cahill said: “I’m never optimistic when it comes to Sinn Fein, I’ve been treated very badly by them.
“The very baseline would be for the Sinn Fein president to take responsibility for her party’s failings in relation to me, and specifically her own treatment of me since I went public.
“I want Sinn Fein to admit that people who are now members of Sinn Fein were involved in a forced IRA investigation into my abuse. They need to admit that there was an IRA investigation into my abuse and that I was brought face-to-face with my abuser. And they need to apologise for their treatment of me.”
Ms Cahill said she thinks people were surprised by how she was previously treated by Ms McDonald.
She added that it was a “huge decision for me to meet them”.
On Saturday, Ms Cahill will be a key speaker at the Reclaim the Night march in Belfast calling for safer streets and an end to sexual harassment and abuse.
Sinn Fein confirmed the meeting was to go ahead in Leinster House.
“On the back of media commentary, Mary Lou McDonald has sought a meeting with Mairia Cahill, subject to agreed logistics,” it said.