McDonald: No Sinn Féin regrets over Cahill case
Ms McDonald simply said “I don’t” when asked if she felt she and her party should have responded differently to the revelations last October.
Speaking on a year-in-review debate on RTÉ radio, Ms McDonald said she feels “an immense sense of sympathy” for anyone who was sexually “violated”.
However, despite the party and Ms McDonald initially dismissing Ms Cahill’s case and claims the victim of sexual abuse by a provisional IRA member was told to keep quiet, the TD said she does not regret Sinn Féin’s response.
“I don’t,” Ms McDonald said when asked if the case should have been responded to differently.
“Obviously when someone comes forward as Maíria did, with a story of abuse and sexual violence, it is profoundly traumatic and that is the case for this young woman.
“I feel an immense sense of sympathy and hurt for anybody who’s been violated and that’s the case for Mairia. I wish her well,” she said, adding it is clear “lots of people” from differing sides suffered sexual abuse that may not have been properly investigated during the Troubles.
Ms McDonald’s comments about Ms Cahill — who alleges she was sexually abused by a senior provisional IRA figure in 1997 when she was aged 16 before being subjected to a paramilitary “kangaroo court” investigation of the matter — appear to jar with previous attitudes from the party.
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams initially denied meeting Ms Cahill over the case in the late 1990s. He later the unofficial inquiries took place.
During a visit to Leinster House for a Dáil debate last month, Ms Cahill, from Belfast, also rowed with Ms McDonald, who she said “smirked” at her — a claim the TD denies.
Fine Gael TD Regina Doherty — whose party has been accused of using the case to launch a political attack on Sinn Féin — has previously questioned why Ms McDonald continues to support Mr Adams in the face of the allegations despite being vocal on women’s rights.
However, speaking about any leadership contest yesterday, Ms McDonald, Sinn Féin’s deputy leader, ruled out any move to replace Mr Adams as president when the party’s ard fheis takes place next spring.
“He indicated his name would go forward at the next ard fheis, and that’s how we decide as a party. I won’t be doing it at the next ard fheis.
“Gerry has my full confidence as the leader of the party and that is right across the party,” she said.
Ms Cahill’s case is currently being examined by the PSNI, which is due to make a decision on what action to take, if any, next spring. A criminal case lodged by her in Northern Ireland collapsed earlier this year.
The revelations were first detailed by a BBC Spotlight investigation in October.
