RUC more interested in recruiting informer than child abuse

Sceala Clann T.D. Location: Belfast and Donegal.

UTV attempt to embarrass Gerry Adams for alleged crimes of brother. They do however, unwittingly succeed in shaming the bad name of the RUC.

Adams's brother sought in abuse case
Gerry Moriarty, Northern Editor
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/1218/breaking78.htm
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has urged his brother Liam Adams to hand himself over to the PSNI to answer allegations that he sexually abused his daughter.

The Sinn Fein president’s niece Aine Tyrell waived her right to anonymity on UTV’s Insight programme tonight to make the allegations of child sex abuse against her father Liam Adams, a former IRA prisoner.

Gerry Adams said he had already been in contact with the PNSI and if he knew he would inform the PSNI about the whereabouts of his brother Liam so that he could answer the allegations.

“I haven’t had any contact with him,” said the Sinn Féin president.

“I mean not only have I went to the PSNI — if I knew where he was and Liam knows this, Liam knows if I knew where he was that I would tell the PSNI,” he added.

The PSNI today confirmed that warrants were issued for the arrest of Liam Adams to answer allegations of rape, indecent assault and gross indecency after he failed to attend a preliminary inquiry into the allegations at a Belfast court more than a year ago.

Ms Tyrell (36), who identified herself by her married name, alleged that she was subjected to sexual abuse from when she was about four in 1977 and that the abuse lasted for eight years. She also said that the Sinn Féin president knew about the allegations against Liam Adams for just over 20 years.

Her mother Sally Campbell said she was physically abused by her estranged husband Liam Adams but that she got some respite from this when he was jailed for IRA membership, not long after Aine’s birth. Later on his release the alleged abuse against Aine began.

The programme reported that around 1987 Ms Tyrell and her mother Sally went to the police to make the allegations against her father.

According to the programme, her mother said the RUC seemed “more interested in recruiting her as an informer than dealing with Aine’s abusing father”.

Medical tests were taken and social services were also informed and documentary evidence of these tests and contacts are still on file, according to Insight .

The programme also reported that at the time because so few in the local nationalist community recognised the legitimacy of the RUC that “under pressure” Ms Tyrell didn’t proceed with the case. The statements, however, are still on file and Ms Tyrell believes these can be used to prove her allegations against her father.

Ms Tyrell said at some meetings on the issue with the Sinn Féin president she felt they were “turning into Liam was the victim, you know, our Liam, yes, our Liam can’t deal with what he did to you, that’s why our Liam’s sick in the head now, our Liam can’t cope with life”.

The Sinn Féin president said he accepted the truth of Ms Tyrell’s allegations. “From the very beginning I believed Aine,” he told Insight reporter Chris Moore.

“Now Aine was about 14 at the time, she was a wee kid, but she was always a very good wee girl and always, you know, I, I just couldn’t imagine a child like her making up such a serious allegation.”

“And although I didn’t have you know the, the, the awful details of the, the wrong that was done to her, I think it was doubly done by Liam refusing, called her a liar, and denying emphatically that he had done any wrong,” added Mr Adams.

“Aine in this case is the direct victim, but child abuse has a whole ripple of other victims. You know for me it’s like, you know, a permanent bereavement,” he said.

Mr Adams said on two occasions he tried but ultimately failed to create the circumstances where Liam Adams would come forward and face the allegations of his daughter.

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RUC more interested in recruiting informer than child abuse