“The only way this can happen now is through the courts.”
Today’s Irish News carries the front-page story of Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams’ statement last night on the issuing of an arrest warrant for his younger brother Liam, who is in his 50s, in relation to serious allegations of child sex abuse. According to the Irish News report, Liam Adams had failed to appear at a pre-arranged preliminary inquiry at a Belfast court. Other reports, including the BBC, state that the arrest warrant was issued last year. Liam Adams’ house in Andersonstown is reportedly up for sale and “sources” told the Irish News that he had fled across the border several weeks ago. From the Irish News report
The investigation is said to be a protracted one and involves allegations dating back a number of years. The alleged victim and Gerry Adams have made statements to police in connection with the investigation. Gardai have been contacted and it is understood that Liam Adams may have fled to the Republic.
Updated below the fold. Further Update UTV Insight Special available online.
The iol report adds
The 61-year-old republican leader has apparently urged his younger brother to hand himself in and has made clear the alleged victim – a woman now in her 30s – must get justice.
The West Belfast MP made a statement to police in which he expressed support for her.
The allegations are believed to date back more than 20 years, and Liam Adams, who had been living in west Belfast, has been questioned on a number of occasions by detectives.
The arrest warrant was issued last year when he failed to appear in court for a preliminary inquiry.
And from the Irish News
In a statement last night the Sinn Féin president said the victim “must get justice”.
The West Belfast MP, who has been aware of the allegations for some time said: “Since the first day I spoke to [her] about the abuse she suffered I believed her.
“She must get justice.
“The only way this can happen now is through the courts. I have made a statement to the PSNI in support of [her].”
Update details from the RTÉ report
The story came to light after the woman at the centre of the abuse allegations waved her anonymity in order to tell her story.
She is making public allegations that over a period of at least eight years, beginning in the late 1970s, she was abused by her father. She will feature in a special UTV programme at 8pm tonight.
She claims she can remember the alleged offences, including rape, from the time she was four.
In November of last year, 30 years after some of the alleged abuses and following a PSNI investigation, Liam Adams was to face 23 court charges – but he went missing.
From the UTV report
Eventually, Aine wrote her mother a letter telling her about the abuse. After informing social services and the police, she told her uncle, one of the most recognisable republicans in Northern Ireland, Gerry Adams.
The Sinn Fein president told UTV he believed her story from the beginning.
“Aine was about fourteen at the time, she was a wee kid, but she was always a very good wee girl and always you know, I just couldn’t imagine a child like her making up such a serious allegation.
“Although I didn’t have the awful details of 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.”
And
Mr Adams attempted to make his brother answer for his alleged crimes, by trying to set up a meeting between Aine and her father so she could put the accusations to him directly.
“I tried to create a circumstance where Liam would come forward and do precisely what his daughter wanted.
“On the two occasions we had an arrangement where he was prepared to come along and do what Aine had requested and on two occasions at the very last minute that broke down.
“Now I mean I was disappointed but Aine was even more disappointed understandably.”
Aine said she attended the “rushed” meetings with her uncle on her own, but said the tone changed as Mr Adams started to defend his brother.
“I got my eyes opened when I was going to the meetings.
“It was turning into Liam was the victim.”
Mr Adams has refuted the allegation, saying “any suggestion that in some way the perpetrator was on a level par with the victim is mistaken, as that was never and is not my position.”
Aine has since stopped contact with the West Belfast MP, after writing him a final letter.
She believes she was let down by her uncle.
“I ended up saying look do you know what it is, you have failed me again, when twenty years later I’ve asked you to do one thing.”, she said.
A Shinner accused of child abuse?
No! Can’t be right. Shurely shome mishtake.
Fine, upstanding chaps to a man.
At least ole Gerry has left it up to the authorities. In the old days his little bro would be taken in the boot of a car into the woods.
“In the old days his little bro would be taken in the boot of a car into the woods.”
Not quite.
It’s odd that Gerry seems to be overly keen to deny his other brother due process in this example, since he has already declared his said brother guilty without a trial (“I believed her.”) Why is that?
To hear Gerry speak, you’d almost think that he that he was so upstanding that he could never have been compromised by security services by this in the past.
Update to the original post.
From the UTV report
I think this is on insight tonight, the whole sordid ugly disgusting story.
posted by Kathy Collins
My prayers are with Aine.
It is very interesting that Gerry Adams states in his blog of Nov. 27th 2009 in ‘Cherishing all the cvhildren equally’ based on the sex abuse done to children by priest—-
Any reader of the Blog who is affected in any way by abuse should contact the Samaritans, their local Rape Crisis Centre, helplines, or other appropriate statutory or voluntary organisations and services.
But what did Gerry do to his niece…he tried to set up a meeting between her…the victim who was raped as a child —with her abuser, Gerry’s brother. How twisted. Why didn’t he contact the police and have the police deal with the rapist. It is tramatic enough for the victim to face her rapist in court…let alone in Gerry’s office.
Now to the political side of this. The warrant was issued last year????? And the brother wasn’t picked up? I have to also ask—did Gerry make any deals with the authorities to give his brother time to escape across the border…like maybe a statement that the orange order parades have a right to march in the south? This entire situation stinks from the top on down and suspect.
Well said, Kathy C
Kathy, Gerry Adams is acting to protect his own reputation as he did when his other brother was identified as a tout. Instead of having his younger brother go through the ‘due process’ of a kangaroo court (run by agents of the British state in any case) and ending up in a ditch with a hood over his head like other ‘touts’, Gerry’s brother received a transfer to another parish.
It doesn’t do Gerry’s republican lineage any good if the Adams Family is comprised of a brother who is a tout (allegedly) and another brother who is a child molester (allegedly), while having a brother who is a mass murderer (allegedly) and an abductor of women (allegedly) enhances it enormously.
It is only now that the case is coming to a TV near you soon do we see Gerry change tact and go from an ‘internal solution’ of seeking to keep it within the family to calling for an external solution. This psychopath cares not one iota about his brother since he now acts to deny him due process by declaring him guilty without a trial. He does this to distance himself from his previous actions in seeking to keep the matter internal and out of the public arena.
In short, he is acting to present himself as being on the side of the victim of the abuse rather than being on the side of the perpetrator of it when in reality, like all self-serving psychopaths, he is on his own side only.
Alias
I don’t get the psychopath charge on Adams. Can you explain? I though he was the strategist.
Kathy,
“But what did Gerry do to his niece…he tried to set up a meeting between her…the victim who was raped as a child—-with her abuser, Gerry’s brother. How twisted. Why didn’t he contact the police and have the police deal with the rapist.”
Alas, it’s an Irish solution to an Irish problem. We’ve seen a lot of that lately.
Interesting programme. His neice came across as articulate and clever but not insincere. Gerry was putting a brave face on it but it was highly embarrassing. Big of him to believe his niece and then do nothing for twenty odd years.
Fr Troy is is in danger of ruin in the programme and it just shows that if you lie down with the Antichrist you deserve all you get. It is clear that some of the bad elements of the Church have a soft spot for Sinn Fein and I hope they’re cleared out with the paedophiles.
What a revealing programme!! Can anyone shed any light on who got Father Troy to visit Aine, as I missed that small piece of it. Who put him up to it? An awful lot of pressure was brought to bear on this girl to shut up, she did right in coming out with it. Liam Adams should be handed into the PSNI or Guards, the sooner the better to answer these allegations.
Only Asking
Liam Adams, her father, is said to have gone to Fr Troy but if you believe that, you’ll believe anything. Clearly Gerry Adams had a hand in it, at least in the sense of prompting his brother.
would anybody here vote for a man with accusations like this hanging over him?
at best adams is like the bishops who turned a blind eye to chils abuse accusations in order to protect the organisation of the church.
thank god adams will never be in a position to take political power in ireland – god help us all if such a scenario ever developed?
Only Asking,
“Liam Adams should be handed into the PSNI or Guards, the sooner the better to answer these allegations.”
That’s sure to happen and when it does Aine will get her day in court. Let’s see how His Grisliness copes with that.
But Liam Adams, gross though the allegations are, is small fry compared to the bishops who were accessories to child rape. I’ve said it elsewhere but will say it again: when will they be handed in to the Guards?
Well said, Lorraine
Lorraine,
You got there before me!
Fabianus
Stop trying to spin this. Lorraine compares Gerry Adams to the Bishops not the paedophile brother. That is the correct comparison. This one won’t spin, son.
Father Troy left Northern Ireland very suddenly. I wonder if he knew this day was going to come.
John,
“This one won’t spin, son.”
Sorry, dad, but the spinning is being done largely by victims of clerical child rape who took their own lives out of desperation, and they’re doing the spinning in their graves.
Fabianus
I think you’ll find that the focus is on the perpetrators of these vile acts and on those who protected them.
Gerry Adams has been involved in protecting the family rather than the victim and therefore ranks alongside the Bishops who protected paedophile priests.
adams had no problem telling the men charged with assaulting bobby tohill to hand themselves over to the police: why did it take so long and a tv programmes to coerce him into telling his blood brother to hand himself over – methinks the lies of the great liar are becoming more and more transparent
That’s sure to happen and when it does Aine will get her day in court. Let’s see how His Grisliness copes with that.
I’m wondering how it took so long for this to come out into the media. And this book that is coming out in February will also uncover some truths re Adams. I think this is very much due to Sinn Fein losing their grip, and jurnos are now bringing out into the open most likely what they have known for a long time. Could be this didn’t reach public attention as Adams may have been off limits due to his role in the peace process, but the truth will out. I’d say a resignation from him wouldn’t be amis sometime soon, I’d lay odds on it being this coming year.
John,
“Gerry Adams has been involved in protecting the family rather than the victim and therefore ranks alongside the Bishops who protected paedophile priests.”
I believe you misunderstood me. I was also saying that Adams ranks alongside the bishops in culpability.
But they did more than simply protect the rapists from justice. They actively aided them in escaping justice. This may not be a crime in the RoI but it certainly is in the rest of the civilised world.
Fabianus
I think I might have rushed to judgement on your comment as you were posting about another post before the one I thought you were posting on earlier. A bit of confusion, I think.
My apologies.
test.
These two pieces of info may cast Gerry in a different light for some.
From the New York Times, September 1998- ”The whole republican family is for peace,” said Liam Adams, 43, the chairman of the community council. Mr. Adams, the brother of Gerry Adams, came to Dundalk 10 years ago, the only one of the 10 Adams siblings to have left Northern Ireland for the south. ”I didn’t want my children to grow up the way I had to grow up,” he said.
And from the Slugger site http://www.sluggerotoole.com/index.php/weblog/comments/2-sinn-fein-mlas-deselected-in-newry-and-armagh/
20. These “Special Selection Conventions” are not always democratic. I remember a convention being held to select a candidate for a general election in the 90s in Dundalk. This was bitterly contested internally between both camps. In one ring was Owen Hanratty a local veteran Republican and in the other was Liam Adams brother of Gerry Adams who was not a native, wasnt liked generally in the area both party HQ believed that with big brother Gerry canvassing for he they could increase the vote. On the night of the convention there were heated arguments when it was discovered that the Belfast contingent had bussed in people from Belfast for the vote. On closer examination of the local membership it was discovered that there was a massive increase in new members almost all originally from where else ? Belfast, surprise surprise. Local man Owen Hanratty won out as the locals had been aware of the plan for some weeks. In my book this is not a democratic selection convention and I wouldnt be surprised if this is what happened in Newry.
Posted by Stiofain on Dec 20, 2006 @ 02:11 PM
Gerry A didn’t intervene to stop the brother holding down a post in the Muirhevamore Community Centre in Dundalk, despite knowing the allegations against him clearly made the brother unsuitable to be working in an environment where there were children on a frequent basis.
Why did he not inform those who employed the brother as to the reason why such a person would be totally unsuitable for such a post?
Why did Gerry A not stop his brother putting his name forward as a possible SF candidate. Are we to believe that Gerry didn’t know?
Indeed, given the nature of the allegations, which he tonight acknowledged he was aware of twenty years ago, why did Gerry as party president not ensure Liam’s dismissal from Sinn Féin?
wje
That’s startling information. For Gerry Adams read Bishop Murray of Limerick.
The sheer hypocrisy of Sinn Fein criticising the Catholic Church.
John,
No apology necessary. I figured we were of one mind on this.
A horrible horrible story, coming in the wake of those Moron’s in Kerry.
She’s a very brave woman and I wish her all the best.
If Gerry Adams’ sell by date was not close to expiring before this it must surely now be time.
Slán Abhaile, Gerry.
Did I not Adams saying in the UTV programme that he hadnt seen his brother in 15 years?
not hear
posted by Kathleen Collins
I watched the show-thanks for posting the link. She is a brave woman. I found interesting that Gerry on several occasions refered to her as a woman…rather than as his neice.
I wondered watching the show…with the RUC knowing about Gerry’s brother and knowing that Gerry knew—it lends the question—did the british use this in negotiations to get Gerry Adams on board with the british approach sinn fein adopted about 2002-2003. With so many questions about Gerry’s motives…he should write his resignantion this evening.
Here’s a question to consider.
What exactly does Gerry mean by “The only way [justice] can happen now is through the courts.”?
What other way was it going to happen?
In the 20 years that he knew about the allegations, which he believed, what “justice” did he ever offer?
A meeting with the abuser?
The contrast between Gerry Adam’s views on the seriousness of a child rapist as compared to the a mother comforting a dying young soldier is stark.
Turgon’s right (in more senses than one though unfortunately). Gerry Adams seems to be without empathy for the victim which could be extrapolated to mean that all the nonsense republicans tell us about them feeling the pain of their victims is just words for them and him.
Of course the real reason people undertake war is because they have no empathy for their victims. Why make them victims if that is not the case?
But what if it is the case that Liam Adams claims that his father or mother abused him, and Gerry Adams was also a victim too. Wouldn’t that put the cat among the pigeons?
John,
“But what if it is the case that Liam Adams claims that his father or mother abused him, and Gerry Adams was also a victim too. Wouldn’t that put the cat among the pigeons?”
The cat seems to have had his pick of the pigeons a long while back.
So what if Gerry and Liam were abused? Only a coward or someone lacking in morals would try to use that as a justification for their own crimes against innocent children, their own especially.
Fabianus
True but I would like to see Gerry Adams break down in tears and admit the abuse. I would like him to admit that he was a callous man with no empathy and that he has to change. But I don’t see it happening.
John,
Can’t argue with any of that. I’d like to see the same. Alas…
posted by Kathy C
Is there a law in Northern Ireland that makes someone an accomplice to a crime if they have knowledge that the crime was committed and did not inform the authorities.
There is silence by the DUP, UUP, SDLP and even Sinn Fein…all of these bodies should be demanding Gerry Adams’ resignation from the Assembly and from public office. He was aware his niece over 20 years ago was molested by his brother…and gerry remained silent. He should be forced out of office.
Kathy C,
You call for Adams to resign because he knew about the abuse of a child and did nothing and you do right by so demanding. Why is it that you have never demand anything of Adams over the murder of a mother of 10? Is knowing about paedophilia and doing nothing in some way morally different to knowing about torture and murder and doing nothing?
Why is it that you have never demand anything of Adams over the murder of a mother of 10?
What would you have her demand, and have you come out publicly and demanded anything from him over this particular murder? You are very good Turgon at demanding of others, what have you stood up and done other than rant anonymously on a blog, at least she is demanding something of him and doing so openly. More than you are prepared to do, so why are you on your high horse at her?
I see the Adams story has made the mail on line
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1237070/Gerry-Adams-brother-sexually-abused-daughter-years.html
“Now I mean I was disappointed but Aine was even more disappointed understandably.”
Ah sure God love him There he goes again, putting others’ pain and grief ahead of his own.
Is there seriously anyone left now who refuses to accept this man is a psycopath?
To answer the question implicit in Pete’s title, this whole case is screwed. It’s screwed because it was not brought directly to social services (never mind the cops) at the time of the discovery of the abuse. Everything that has happened since then has compromised all involved.
It is not, as Gerry claims in the programme because it is now subjudice. But, rather, because of the passage of time and the conjecture set up by Gerry’s own highly compromised and compromising behaviour.
Now his brother has no chance of a fair trial. And his niece even less chance of gaining justice. In short, all politics firmly shoved to one side, this is very worrying.
And anyone thinking there is a cheap political point to be made out of this should remember how the Kincora case suddenly went to ground with a whole load of questions completely unanswered.
In thirty years of so-called ‘war’ how many other Aine’s are there? And what chance do any of them have for redemption?
Mick,
The only bit I would disagree with there is the suggestion of “what chance do any of them have for redemption?”
I do not think Aine has any need of redemption at all on this score. I think you mean what chance has she of justice and that may well be low. She may also have little chance of full closure. I cannot tell but the one thing in all this she does not need is redeemed: her having been completely innocent in all this.
Okay, let me spell out more clearly what I mean. The first definition I come across is theological, and the inference was deliberate on my part:
“the act of delivering from sin or saving from evil”
Mick,
It was only a matter of time before somebody hauled Kincora out of the skeleton closet. With respect, I’m just a little surprised it’s you.
Speaking for myself, no, I’m not trying to make political capital out of Aine’s horrific experiences. If the perpetrators had been Unionists then I assure you my anger would be just as great. But it so happens that a pattern is being followed here. The Irish state (the one we Unionists are being asked to join as soon as is practical) is guilty of crimes against women and children that one in the usual order of things associates with less civilised entities.
This is my problem, as indeed it should be the problem of all decent individuals irrespective of their political or tribal leanings.
That Irish nationalism is in the firing line at this juncture is a matter of soul-searching for Irish nationalism. The Irish state has disgraced itself by its wilful inaction in this regard. It’s high-time the Irish people called their political masters to account. Until such time that they do, I and a great many others will continue to equate Home Rule with Rome Rule.
Fab,
It wasn’t aimed at anyone in particular. And certainly not you.
But politicising the question loses focus on what this is really about at its base: Child sexual abuse and the hiding of it by powerful men. We know from our *very unsatisfactory* history that that is not just a problem for Republicans.
Although given Adams’ position I would not obscure the fact that this particular story is very definitely a problem for Irish Republicans.
I stand by that which I posted earlier
#
These two pieces of info may cast Gerry in a different light for some.
From the New York Times, September 1998- ‘‘The whole republican family is for peace,’’ said Liam Adams, 43, the chairman of the community council. Mr. Adams, the brother of Gerry Adams, came to Dundalk 10 years ago, the only one of the 10 Adams siblings to have left Northern Ireland for the south. ‘‘I didn’t want my children to grow up the way I had to grow up,’’ he said.
And from the Slugger site http://www.sluggerotoole.com/index.php/weblog/comments/2-sinn-fein-mlas-deselected-in-newry-and-armagh/
20. These “Special Selection Conventions” are not always democratic. I remember a convention being held to select a candidate for a general election in the 90s in Dundalk. This was bitterly contested internally between both camps. In one ring was Owen Hanratty a local veteran Republican and in the other was Liam Adams brother of Gerry Adams who was not a native, wasnt liked generally in the area both party HQ believed that with big brother Gerry canvassing for he they could increase the vote. On the night of the convention there were heated arguments when it was discovered that the Belfast contingent had bussed in people from Belfast for the vote. On closer examination of the local membership it was discovered that there was a massive increase in new members almost all originally from where else ? Belfast, surprise surprise. Local man Owen Hanratty won out as the locals had been aware of the plan for some weeks. In my book this is not a democratic selection convention and I wouldnt be surprised if this is what happened in Newry.
Posted by Stiofain on Dec 20, 2006 @ 02:11 PM
Gerry A didn’t intervene to stop the brother holding down a post in the Muirhevamore Community Centre in Dundalk, despite knowing the allegations against him clearly made the brother unsuitable to be working in an environment where there were children on a frequent basis.
Why did he not inform those who employed the brother as to the reason why such a person would be totally unsuitable for such a post?
Why did Gerry A not stop his brother putting his name forward as a possible SF candidate. Are we to believe that Gerry didn’t know?
Indeed, given the nature of the allegations, which he tonight acknowledged he was aware of twenty years ago, why did Gerry as party president not ensure Liam’s dismissal from Sinn Féin?
Posted by wje on Dec 18, 2009 @ 11:36 PM