AN INDEPENDENT REVIEW into the handling of Mairia Cahill’s rape case has been launched promising a “robust review” of how the allegations were prosecuted.
The review is being conducted independent of Northern Ireland’s Public Prosecution Service (PPS) and is being led by UK-based lawyer Keir Starmer.
The PPS says the review includes “three interlinked cases involving sex abuse and terrorist-related charges”.
The investigation will look at “all aspects of the handling and conduct of the prosecutions”.
Cahill claims she was raped by a member of the IRA in 1997 and was forced to face her abuser as the paramilitary group conducted its own inquiries.
Cahill then made a complaint to the police and charges were brought but subsequently dropped after Cahill withdrew her evidence.
The review has begun with Starmer meeting with three complainants involved in the cases.
All relevant files are expected to be examined with the probe set to conduct interviews with “whomsoever the reviewer requires”.
The Director of Public Prosecutions Barra McGrory will not be directly involved in the review but has pledged “the full co-operation of all staff involved in the cases and access to all of the files.”
Cahill has claimed she discussed the IRA’s investigation into her rape with Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams who denies this. It has led to continued debate and allegation about how sexual abuse was dealt with within the Republican movement.
The review will look at the prosecution into the alleged rape and the prosecutions against four other people.
It is expected that the review will be completed by the spring of next year.
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