IRA failed sex abuse victims, says Adams

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams has admitted the IRA "failed" sex abuse victims as the controversy over Mairia Cahill’s rape allegations continued to convulse the party.

Writing in a blog, Mr Adams denied allegations by Ms Cahill that he and Sinn Féin had colluded in a cover-up regarding her claims that she was subjected to an IRA “kangaroo court” in which she was forced to meet her rapist, but the Sinn Féin leader acknowledged past “mistakes”.

Ms Cahill responded to the intervention by tweeting: “Re Gerry Adams emergency blog ... some admittance after denying all week. Still shameful denial of my experiences.”

Sinn Féin drew strong criticism after senior figures said that while they believed Ms Cahill when she said she had been raped, they did not think she was telling the truth about being subjected to an IRA “investigation”.

Mr Adams said that the IRA “inevitably” made mistakes when it “policed” republican areas in the past as the organisation was “singularly ill equipped” to deal with matters like sexual assault and it “ultimately failed victims and the community alike”.

Mr Adams said that when “responding to demands to take action against rapists and child abusers. The IRA on occasion shot alleged sex offenders or expelled them.

“While this may have been expedient at the time it was not appropriate.”

Mr Adams urged anybody with information about child abuse to go to the authorities.

Ms Cahill said she was raped by a senior IRA figure when aged 16 in 1997, and has claimed a “hugely significant” number of people were also sexually abused in the republican movement.

Ms Cahill, a grand-daughter of former IRA leader Joe Cahill, said she was interrogated by the IRA after she brought the rape to light, but says the organisation was more interested in protecting its reputation than seeking justice.

Ms Cahill says she was forced into a meeting with her rapist by IRA figures as they said they wanted to “assess her body language”.

The woman has accused the republican movement of having a culture of cover-up when it comes to sexual violence.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said Mr Adams had serious questions to answer arising from Ms Cahill’s allegations.

“He [Adams] should stop his continuing denial and stop trying to undermine the credibility of Mairia Cahill,” he told RTÉ.

“I met her in 2012 and I found her presentation comprehensive and compelling.

“The idea that there was not an IRA investigation into this is wrong. He should own up and accept that the IRA/Sinn Féin modus operandi was to silence victims and protect IRA/Sinn Féin at all costs.”