Martin says McD onald ‘not credible’ on Cahill abuse claims
MARY Lou McDonald is facing an intense political backlash over her response to a Police Ombudsman investigation which found RUC intelligence suggested a Sinn Féin member was suspended from the party as he was suspected of abusing children.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said it was “not credible” for Ms McDonald to claim she could not establish whether the man alleged to have abused Máiría Cahill was a member of Sinn Féin.
Mr Martin said Ms McDonald’s response to the controversy shows there is an “overarching impulse” within Sinn Féin to protect the IRA and the republican movement “at all costs”.
“I think Mary Lou’s response stretches credibility,” he told the Irish Independent.
“Sinn Féin knows an awful lot more than they are letting on and Mary Lou knows an awful lot more.”
Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin said it was time for Ms McDonald to show “real transparency” over how Sinn Féin handled Ms Cahill’s case.
“There are outstanding questions that need to be answered about membership of Sinn Féin and the type of internal investigation that was carried out at the time,” he said.
“Many of the same people that were in Sinn Féin when this happened are still there and should be able to provide the Sinn Féin president with the answers to the questions she is avoiding.”
On Tuesday, Ms McDonald said she could not establish if Ms Cahill’s alleged abuser, Martin Morris, was a member of the party she leads as Sinn Féin’s “record keeping was not as it is now 20 years ago”.
The Sinn Féin leader said she would not discuss RUC intelligence about Sinn Féin and Ms Cahill’s rape ordeal as she was not a “spook” or a “spy”.
A disclosure letter given to Ms Cahill by the Police Ombudsman of Northern Ireland said the RUC received intelligence in 2000 which suggested Mr Morris was suspended from Sinn Féin as he was “suspected of abusing certain children”.
The RUC intelligence also suggested Mr Morris was investigated by the Provisional IRA for abusing children. Mr Morris has denied he abused Ms Cahill.
The Ombudsman also found there were significant failings by police and the Northern Ireland prosecution service in their handling of Ms Cahill and two other women’s abuse allegations.
The Belfast woman received an apology from PSNI Chief Constable George Hamilton for the police force’s handling of her case.
Ms McDonald also apologised to Ms Cahill after the report was published but insisted there was no Sinn Féin cover-up of her alleged rape.
Yesterday, Mr Martin said Sinn Féin had sought to “undermine Máiría Cahill’s integrity and credibility” since she went public with her allegations in 2014.
“I think the Sinn Féin response has lacked honesty from the outset and continued to show this impulse to protect the IRA and protect Sinn Féin at all costs,” he said.
Ms McDonald has said she “never disrespected” Ms Cahill during her rape ordeal.
Sinn Féin TD Eoin Ó Broin, who was a councillor in Belfast between 2001 and 2004, said he would also not be able to establish if Mr Morris was a party member. He said he knew Ms Cahill personally and said she was “probably failed” by Sinn Féin’s handling of her abuse allegations.
Sinn Féin did not respond when asked what steps were taken to establish if Mr Morris was a party member.