“He is not going to surrender himself up here (Northern Ireland) at the moment”
The Irish News has an exclusive interview with Liam Adams’ solicitor behind its paywall, but the details are repeated in other reports. And as the police prepare a European Arrest Warrant it’s worth noting that Liam Adams “gave no permanent address” to Garda in Sligo. From the Irish Times report
Mr Adams walked into a police station in Sligo in the on Monday afternoon where he was interviewed. He was later released because the proper arrest warrant had not been prepared and served. It was the first time in more than a year that his whereabouts were known to the authorities on both sides of the border after he failed to turn up for a court appearance in November last year. Mr Breen said he “can’t see how Liam will ever get a fair trial in this jurisdiction (Northern Ireland) because of what has been said in the media”.
He said his client had only been contacted once, in February 2007, by police investigating the allegations.
He told the Belfast-based Irish News : “These allegations came to light in 1987, according to what we had been told by police during his arrest.
We were told by police that the alleged injured party didn’t wish to proceed but she wished to have Mr Adams spoken to by police.
“At absolutely no time up until 2007 (when Ms Tyrell decided to proceed with the complaint) did police speak to Mr Adams. In 2007 police called to a residence and left a police card for Mr Adams to contact them.
“He immediately contacted them and went voluntarily to the police station in my company. Throughout a series of interviews he strenuously denied the allegations.”
Mr Adams, he said, was interviewed three times on February 15th, 2007 at Grosvenor Road police station in west Belfast before being released by police pending a report to the PPS.
Prosecution papers were issued in March the following year but were never served as Mr Adams could not be located.
Mr Breen said he had no information about his client’s whereabouts during that time. He had not seen him since February 2007, but received a call on Monday night from “a family member” asking for representation for Mr Adams who had, by that stage, already handed himself in to police in Sligo.
The solicitor was also contacted last week by another of Liam Adams’s daughters who asked him to lodge a complaint with the Police Ombudsman after she claimed officers “forced their way into her house under a warrant” to look for her father two days after Áine waived to right to anonymity to level the accusations.
And here’s a snippet from another Irish Times report
Eileen Calder, head of the Northern Ireland Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre, said yesterday that Áine Kerr (her married name) and her mother told her they were effectively “ostracised” from members of the Adams family over attempts to make Liam Adams accountable for his alleged crimes. She said she did not find Gerry Adams’s comments on the matter credible.
There are other questions about his version of events.
From the Irish news. click on the image to enlarge
What name did Adams use in the Sligo boarding house, something O’Hara???
Was all this a carefully contrived circus. Gerry says he’s guilty,so brother paedophile can say he wont get a fair trial. Liam flees South.He can be tried in the South for a crime committed in the North,(it is possible) where a more sympathetic jury would acquit him. No danger the dissident republicans would get their hands on him and dish out the type of treatment the provos used do-torture, water submerging,under tender care of stakeknife,and finally the plastic bag over the head to contain skull fragments and brain matter from spilling on assassins clothes when the head got a bullet
Adams told two chief constables about the abuse and has written about some reactions to the issue on his blog.
This scandal is just horrific it just gets worse.I repeat I smell a cover up Gerry Adams accounts simply dosnt add up there no doubt there will be more to come out and more questions to answer.
sligo is the home town of a certain rte journalist who in 2004 or 2005 was censured by the irish daily star for commiserating with a paedophile priest at the trial of the priest. the journalist went on to conduct an exclusive with gerry adams re paedophilia.
coincidence?
There is clearly an overlap between criminal republican mindsets and republicanism. In fact I would safely say that republicanism is a criminal enterprise in large part.
In what acpacity dio Gerry go to the two Chief Constables? As the local MP? To press this on behalf of his niece (after all he’s on her side in this isn’t he? To make enquiries on behalf of Liam? And if it wasn’t any of these quasi-official reasons what business was it of his?
I hope that both of them politeley told him to keep his nose out for fear that he might be seen to be undermining their independence and interfering in a criminal investigation.
“they were effectively “ostracised” from members of the Adams family”
So they have been ostracised for exposing this but Gerry isn’t for accusing his Da of being a predatory paedophile and child abuser?
I have said it before Gerry Adams position is untenable.If he had any shred of dencency he ADAMS would resign his position with immediate effect.
What name did Adams use in the Sligo boarding house, something O’Hara???
Eamonn.
I’m sorry but it’s almost 2010 not 1973 a fair trial is exactly what he would get up North. If anything the media hype around this will make sure the trial is conducted properly. As I’ve said if he has done nothing wrong then why is he not trying to clear his name?
Must be reassuring for the people of Sligo that a suspected paedophile can walk fron a Garda station without leaving a permanent address.
In what acpacity dio Gerry go to the two Chief Constables? As the local MP? To press this on behalf of his niece (after all he’s on her side in this isn’t he? To make enquiries on behalf of Liam? And if it wasn’t any of these quasi-official reasons what business was it of his?
I hope that both of them politeley told him to keep his nose out for fear that he might be seen to be undermining their independence and interfering in a criminal investigation.
Whats all the media frenzy and the main focus of the accusations about what Gerry Adams did or did not do then if thats what you believe. You cant have it both ways keep his nose out of it and then castigate him for not doing enough.
Liam Adams pleading not guilty in an Irish Court is better for this case, that way witnesses have to be called, although terrible for Aine is nevertheless going to force the truth out, if the police and social services knew and did not act for their own selfish purposes. The truth will be found in an Irish court rather than a British one.
It is unbelievable that accusations of child abuse labled against the brother of the leader of the republican movement at that time, when the conflict was ongoing, that police did not try to use this.
Amazing how the RUC/Security forces did not use this against Gerry Adams.It would have been done in the south, Garda did it against Emmet Stagg TD ( brother of hunger striker Frank Stagg) when he was found with a rent boy in the phoenix park. On the other hand did the security forces use it to blackmail Gerry – look at all the informers that were in the IRA/SF for God’s sake. You never know ?
The family’s openness is welcomed.
In his 1995 comments SF says Gerry Adams did not call on people not to report sexual abuse.
Oh gawd lol the sinners/trolls/spinners still at it trying in vain with there spinning acts trying to get gerry adams off the hook.Well boys you have failed miserably Adams accounts simply dosnt add up theres questions to be answered wether you. like it or not.
And the cancer spreads.
Here’s an earlier comment from Eileen Calder reported by Suzanne Breen:
It was the gang rape of a young woman. The perpetrators’ families were associated with the Provisional IRA and CRJ. Known IRA men were seen cleaning up the scene. These people did their utmost to prevent this young woman reporting the crime to police … at worst, they’ve threatened women and attempted to cover up crimes committed by those with IRA, Sinn Fein or CRJ connections. Allowing such people power is like letting the lunatics run the asylum.
In one case, a man was locked in a van with three savage dogs and torn to pieces. In another, a rapist was crucified by being nailed to a fence beside a busy road. Homes of suspected nonces were petrol-bombed by mobs.
Yet the occupant of one terrace house remained unmolested, even though many people – police, social workers, politicians and locals – had heard dreadful gossip about what happened behind his front door.
There was a simple reason this man was not attacked: a huge poster of Gerry Adams, the public face of the IRA, hung from his front window.
And to make sure there was no confusion, the man would greet callers by asking: ‘Do you know who my brother is?’
For the occupant was Liam Adams, little brother of Gerry, kingpin of the organisation and a man who reached worldwide prominence when Margaret Thatcher ordered that his voice could not be broadcast in order to prevent the IRA benefiting from the ‘oxygen of publicity’
continues:
Yet his position as an MP is now under threat amid a welter of new allegations exposing him as a liar.
In a damning new book to be published about the secret life of Gerry Adams, there will be revelations about his role in the case of The Disappeared – an infamous case involving the IRA murder of a dozen civilians.
This will finally nail the lie of Adams’s denial of his involvement with the IRA, not to mention revealing the existence of secret tapes about his involvement in the killing of Jean McConville, a mother of ten suspected of being an informer.
With his brother facing arrest and his niece pouring scorn on him, the past is at last coming back to haunt Adams.
The question is now whether his lies and special pleading will be enough to save him from political destruction.
here
I’d still much rather if Adams was to go for lies etc that he went over the book, or what he did himself, rather than mishandling of a family situation about which there is confusion in the public domain. He does have to go sooner or later, no one is immortal, but for him to go over this is akin to Al Capone getting nabbed over tax evasion.
#
And the cancer spreads.
Posted by Seamus on Dec 24, 2009 @ 03:17 PM
Its trully sickening Gerry adams and sinn finn are up to there necks in it.
Amazing how the RUC/Security forces did not use this against Gerry Adams.It would have been done in the south, Garda did it against Emmet Stagg TD ( brother of hunger striker Frank Stagg) when he was found with a rent boy in the phoenix park. On the other hand did the security forces use it to blackmail Gerry – look at all the informers that were in the IRA/SF for God’s sake. You never know ?
Posted by seamusmor on Dec 24, 2009 @ 02:26 PM
Funny too how 2 informers sharing the same surname with Gerry were ordered out of the country for A PERIOD whilst all others exposed before and after them were executed.
Different strokes for different folks and not just in child molestation issues.
I have said it before Gerry Adams position is untenable.If he had any shred of dencency he ADAMS would resign his position with immediate effect.
Posted by Paul on Dec 24, 2009 @ 12:57 PM
Paul the leadership has that much dirt on one and other, they just can`t tell him to go and save the party all the embarrassment.
Afterall how many times have we heard gerry and martin say the party is more important than any individual.(except gerry and martin).
But the different strokes for different folks question cannot be answered in this case, because there is NO evidence that child abuse was covered up within an inner circle of SF elite in West Belfast, which is what one may call a paedophile ring if they are honest. That is the position of many in the media, and it is simply out on a limb. West Belfast people may have been tolerant of ‘different strokes for different folks’ nothing much they could do about it really, but a paedo ring involving children? I don’t think that would have been tolerated, that would have leaked out before now, whether or not Adams handled or mishandled this family situation.
Paul the leadership has that much dirt on one and other, they just can`t tell him to go and save the party all the embarrassment.
Afterall how many times have we heard gerry and martin say the party is more important than any individual.(except gerry and martin).
Posted by Seamus on Dec 24, 2009 @ 03:44 PM
I agree seamus I also want to know who else within Adams Sinn fein inner circle has dirt on there hands.
Yet his position as an MP is now under threat amid a welter of new allegations exposing him as a liar.
In a damning new book to be published about the secret life of Gerry Adams, there will be revelations about his role in the case of The Disappeared – an infamous case involving the IRA murder of a dozen civilians.
This will finally nail the lie of Adams’s denial of his involvement with the IRA, not to mention revealing the existence of secret tapes about his involvement in the killing of Jean McConville, a mother of ten suspected of being an informer.
With his brother facing arrest and his niece pouring scorn on him, the past is at last coming back to haunt Adams.
The question is now whether his lies and special pleading will be enough to save him from political destruction.
Now we know why gerry has been pumping so hard for us all to stop looking back , just look to the future, we have got you`s this far through our courage and vision.
Finally many republicans who have remained with SF will acept gerry and martin for what they are, compulsive liars in every aspect of their lives private and political.
Soon we shall be able to ask questions on many other issues as well.
Time for truth whatever it may be.
We only have to look at so many complex issues that have been suppressed at will by this leadership.
The Corry family are a great example, have they held fire for so long through fear perhaps.
Who can blame them if so, others have dissappeared for saying less about adams and his cronies who are`nt exactly flocking round to back him up on this one, as its gone beyond their peramiter of intervention so swiftly.
We can only hope that many others will now get justice that they have been denied through the word of the bearded one.
In “Killing Rage”, Eamon Collins gives an account of a suspected rape by a somewhat high ranking opeartor in S. Armagh. The woman was believed and the alleged perpetrator was exiled to the Republic. There was consternation b/c the guy was good at his “job”, but what he did was unforgivable. *
*Working off memory off the book.
We’re looking now at a trial in the south, cross examination of Aine and her credibility being the main target of the defence strategy, and a possible acquittal of a man Gerry says is a rapist.
This will drag out and be very unseemly.
And, though once he is charged, sub judice may prevent open discussion in the media of Gerry’s motives in handling the case so strangely, it will allow journalists plenty of time to do their research and have the big story ready for the day of the result.
Sinn Fein, in the mean time, wants us to be talking about the devolution of policing and justice as a general election looms. Some chance!
Gerry’s family concerns now conflict directly with the interests of the party.
In any normal party he would go – if he doesn’t go, it will signal that it is not a normal party – and that could be as damaging.
In any normal party he would go – if he doesn’t go, it will signal that it is not a normal party – and that could be as damaging.
And if he does go it would be an admission of guilt for what exactly? This has to be fought, due to the allegations of a cover up, for I don’t believe that something like a paedophile ring exsisted. All the IRA’s internal goings on came out, if this were in exsistence it would have come out to before now.
NO, I’d prefer him to stay until the book comes out. If he goes now the revelations in the book amount to nothing much, if he stays its a different story.
Although I wont deny a certain satisfaction at the mounting difficulties for Adams I feel deeply uncomfortable at the political point scoring and the media feeding frenzy which seeks to exploit this tragic case. Slugger and the press should move on and allow the law to take its course.
If SF are a normal political party then surely its only a matter of time before MMcG has a word in Gerry’s ear. Testing times for the DUP/SF led coalition. Wonder what a new Justice Minister would make of all this?
I haven’t heard the allegation that there was a paedophile ring inside the IRA, but the significance of this story is that it reveals how the IRA was a burden on the community. It forbade people to report misdeeds by their members to the police. This threat extended to ordinary citizens and not just to members of the IRA. That protected a culture in which violent people were protected when their violence extended outside the parameters of the ocnflict. Indeed, in the end most IRA energy went into policing the community from which secrecy was demanded.
Why did Gerry not take Aine to Andersonstown police station and help her report the rapes? Because he was an IRA leader who was at war with the police. Simple. The very essence and character of the IRA was the denial of the right of the police to enter republican areas to investigate crime. We know this.
Gerry wanted this resolved in Culturlann, not in Court. That’s cover up.
I haven’t heard the allegation that there was a paedophile ring inside the IRA, but the significance of this story is that it reveals how the IRA was a burden on the community. It forbade people to report misdeeds by their members to the police. This threat extended to ordinary citizens and not just to members of the IRA. That protected a culture in which violent people were protected when their violence extended outside the parameters of the ocnflict. Indeed, in the end most IRA energy went into policing the community from which secrecy was demanded.
Why did Gerry not take Aine to Andersonstown police station and help her report the rapes? Because he was an IRA leader who was at war with the police. Simple. The very essence and character of the IRA was the denial of the right of the police to enter republican areas to investigate crime. We know this.
Gerry wanted this resolved in Culturlann, not in Court. That’s cover up.
The fact of the matter is this Adams and sinn fein are up to there necks in it.I think others within sinn fein will go down with Adams will take them down with him.
I haven’t heard the allegation that there was a paedophile ring inside the IRA,
That is what your allegation amounts to.
but the significance of this story is that it reveals how the IRA was a burden on the community.
No it doesn’t, people reported lots of crimes to the police in these areas all during the conflict. If your home was burglarized there could be no compensation claim without reporting it to the police, if you lived in a H.E. home and had your windows broken it had to be reported to police before they fixed it, If you lived in private homes and structural damage was caused to your home it had to be reported. If your car was stolen it had to be reported, and no one on God’s earth would stop a parent from going to police if someone did vile stuff like this to their children, no matter who it was. That people sought out other avenues to get justice was not only due to the IRA offering swifter punishment, it was due to the fact that the police would not come into republican heartlands, even yet their response times are appalling.
Yes the IRA were a burden on the back of communities all accross the north, but they also had support otherwise they could not have survived, so someone would need to explain that.
Your whole emphasis is on the dark underbelly of sexual motives within the IRA,within an inner circle – your position clearly amounts to a logical conclusion that paedophilia went on within the higher echelons of SF/IRA in West Belfast and a blind eye was turned to it.
That protected a culture in which violent people were protected when their violence extended outside the parameters of the ocnflict. Indeed, in the end most IRA energy went into policing the community from which secrecy was demanded.
From ’72 onward where were the police, we must have had one of the biggest police forces in western Europe, and armed to boot,why didn’t they police? Why aren’t they policing now, why did it taken Patten to at least try and get them to act even handedly?
Gerry wanted this resolved in Culturlann, not in Court. That’s cover up
Gerry didn’t get it resolved in An Culturlann, no cover up, becaue the mother and daughter went to the police and social services when the child was 14, so explain that? Again and again you over look a persons free will in all of this. You consistently politicise a sensitive matter between a family and the authorities, by extending it on to a whole movement within the west of this city.
Only asking.
Do you think that GA acted properly in all this? What makes this political is that he is the leader of a major party of government in N.Ireland and therefore people want to know if he did the right thing.
“Gerry didn’t get it resolved in An Culturlann, no cover up, because the mother and daughter went to the police and social services when the child was 14, so explain that?”
Well, Only Asking, her’s a few more things to ask:
Ask why, at that stage they decided that they could not go ahead with the prosecution. After all, we assume that they had the full support of Gerry and the movement and that there would have been no ‘consequences’ arising from doing so.
And ask why the suspect was allowed to continue as a member of the movement and fitted up with various wee jobs when he returned to NI (until the allegations resurfaced because the victim was appealed to find him working with children). Then we understand he was moved parish down south again.
Was a Bishop advising SF on their handling strategy?
And these allegations are not just a “a sensitive matter between a family and the authorities”. They are allegations of perhaps the most heinous crime short of murder and committed against a child.
Do you think that GA acted properly in all this?
No,he didn’t, but admits that himself.
cynic,
Ask why, at that stage they decided that they could not go ahead with the prosecution.
Ask them yourself, but some of it was covered on the utv programme.
After all, we assume that they had the full support of Gerry and the movement and that there would have been no ‘consequences’ arising from doing so.
You assume? Assumptions aren’t facts.
And ask why the suspect was allowed to continue as a member of the movement and fitted up with various wee jobs when he returned to NI (until the allegations resurfaced because the victim was appealed to find him working with children). Then we understand he was moved parish down south again.
Who ‘fitted him up with jobs’? According to the places he worked he was subjected to vetting procedures like anyoneelse,they have the proof, so?
until the allegations resurfaced because the victim was appealed to find him working with children).
Not according to the utv programme. Watch it and see.
Was a Bishop advising SF on their handling strategy?
Bishop?
And these allegations are not just a “a sensitive matter between a family and the authorities”. They are allegations of perhaps the most heinous crime short of murder and committed against a child.
Yes child abuse is heinous, but essentially it is up to that family to take the allegations to the police, up to social services to inform police and do what ever it is that is involved. And up to the victim whether or not they suspend the investigation.
Go read and catch up.
posted by Kathleen Collins
Of course he isn’t going to give himself up to the authorities of Northern Ireland….if he did…wow he would be arrested for sexually abusing and raping his daughter.
Does anyone know…is their a law in Northern Ireland about abeting a sex offender? Because maybe if there is…Gerry Adams could be arrested for that.
Aine withdrew her statements why ? Not because she was intimated by Gerry Adams or the republican movement, but because the RUC tried to turn her into a tout. Liam Adams therefore had no case to answer, then it was “a sensitive matter between a family and the authorities” through no fault of Gerry Adams
Go read and catch up.
Posted by Only Asking on Dec 24, 2009 @ 07:06 PM
YES I suggest you yourself ought to go and catch yourself on and stop your pathatic spinning this scandal will i predict will also be on a much wider scale and the fact Gerry Adams hasnt the decency to resign his position as sinn fein leader says it all.Adams is a political and public representative he simply does not have any moral authority to stay in his position.His accounts simply dont add up and his credibility is in TATTERS
Who ‘fitted him up with jobs’? According to the places he worked he was subjected to vetting procedures like anyoneelse,they have the proof, so?
only asking
true, the paperwork is there to signal legitimacy in the application process: but are they forgeries? who wwere the referees?
tacapall said
“20.Aine withdrew her statements why ? Not because she was intimated by Gerry Adams or the republican movement, but because the RUC tried to turn her into a tout. Liam Adams therefore had no case to answer, then it was “a sensitive matter between a family and the authorities” through no fault of Gerry Adams”
The police of the failed state do not come up smelling of roses out of this do they ?
It is reassuring that the main Unionist parties have shown restraint on this issue and will seek to fight their battles with SF within the political domain.
Slugger needs to return to what it does best in encouraging political debate rather than offering a forum for tabloidesque rumour mongering for those over-excited at the prospect of damaging Adams and SF and more worringly – possibly damaging the prospects of this case being dealt with properly.
Unionist parties only have to sit back and rub their hands, cause every time gerry opens that big mouth he further contradicts himself.
And there we all were actually thinking he was intelligent.
Its such a pity he could`nt have some one in whitehall write a statement on this one for him just as Johnathon wrote the one for him and martins surrender.
Liam ASdams could really answer the case by going back to NI. He is just hjoping there may be some reason he cannot be extrtadicted. After all that was an old game with IRA, bolt hole south, and dont face the music. This is all about facing face and saving Gerry
For all the talk of a court case etc, no chance.
From here on in every morning i wake i will be expecting to hear on the radio that the remains of a man have been found and fowl play is not suspected. Through what ever means gerry will become evermore the victim once again who should be given time to mourn etc etc etc.
Sure the pressure was just too much on our Liam.
Before we know it gerry will be saying thats why we were keeping it a family secret ,we knew our poor liam wouldn`t be able to handle it.
Fowl play? Christmas turkey?
Being serious, the sight of some people salivating over someone else’s misfortune is very tacky.