MAÍRIA CAHILL, WHO alleges that the Republican movement knew of her alleged abuse and essentially convened a ‘kangaroo court’, has claimed that her situation is not an isolated case.
She told Six One News on RTÉ this, and also appealed on the show for members of Sinn Féin who have information on any alleged abuse cases to come forward.
Cahill told RTÉ she thinks there are “a hugely significant number of [abuse] victims.”
She said “there are people who have been alleged to have committed serious crimes of sexual abuse who have potentially access to other children, and those children are at great risk”.
She appealed for members of Sinn Féin who might have information “to soul search, to come forward”.
Gerry Adams statement
In a statement released this evening, Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams reiterated his position in relation to his conversation with Mairia Cahill.
He also reiterated his position that the Sinn Féin representatives named by Maíria “all sought to help her”, and said that Sinn Féin is willing to meet with her.
Adams said:
Mairia acknowledged that her uncle, the well respected and senior republican Joe Cahill asked her to go to the RUC. Joe made this approach at my request.She made the claim that there are other victims who are living in fear, and perpetrators at large, who are a danger to children, as a result of how republicans dealt with these issues in the past. No one should be living in fear and no child should be at risk.Anyone who has any information whatsoever about any child abuse should come forward to the authorities north or south and they will have the full support of Sinn Féin in so doing.
Sinn Féin
Maíria Cahill is a niece of IRA member Joe Cahill. She claims that in 1997, when she was a teenager, she was raped and repeatedly sexually abused by a prominent IRA member.
She spoke about the claims in a BBC documentary broadcast on Wednesday night.
Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams has repeatedly rejected allegations about a meeting with Cahill.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie this week, Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald said that she is absolutely satisfied that Gerry Adams is telling the truth about the situation.
As reported yesterday:
McDonald said she that having met with Adams today the Louth TD is “absolutely emphatic” that he did not say what he is alleged to have said to Cahill.
McDonald also said that she would meet with Cahill, and that Adams would also be prepared to do so.
Cahill said on Twitter today that she is requesting a meeting with the Taoiseach Enda Kenny on the issue, and that she will meet with First Minister Peter Robinson on Monday about her situation.
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