A Dublin court has ordered the extradition of Liam Adams to Belfast so that he may answer charges of child rape. He is a former chairman of Sinn Fein’s Louth Comhairle Ceantair, a position he held despite the party president being both aware of and believing child rape allegations against him. If the accused man waives his right to appeal he could be sent North to face trial in the coming days.
This was a case that caught the public eye the instant it emerged. The West Belfast native, already pronounced guilty by his older brother Gerry, the current TD for Louth, seemed less in the public eye than his eldest sibling. The Dail Deputy went on public record to state his belief in the allegations against his brother made by his daughter Aine Tyrell. She claimed her father had started raping her when she was a four year old child. Whether the comments by Gerry Adams have prejudiced the case to the extent that it will affect the outcome remains to be seen.
The rape victim has long expressed serious misgivings about the role of her prominent uncle in the affair, saying that Gerry Adams:
heard the Sunday World were planning to do a story about it. He frantically phoned me about 20 times. He wanted to obtain a court injunction with my help to stop the story. He said he needed to make sure it didn’t get into the press in order to protect me ... He advised me against talking to journalists ... All I hear is, ‘We can’t address this or that question because of Aine. We have to protect Aine, she is the victim’. They don’t know me so I find it hard to believe they have all this sympathy for me. I want them to stop using my name. I don’t need protecting. It’s all a smokescreen.
Adams had good cause to want journalists excluded. His handling of the matter might not so easily have been read off as the latest in a long line of cynical manoeuvres aimed at self preservation were it not for the detail brought to light by the Dublin based Sunday Tribune, no longer in circulation. Those doubtful that Gerry Adams was protecting Liam rather than his own political career had their suspicions reinforced when the then MP for West Belfast threw his brother to the wolves in a televised interview with UTV’s Chris Moore. The investigative journalism of the reporter working the Sunday Tribune case, Suzanne Breen, soon had the Sinn Fein boss on the ropes, punching through his weak defences. Rarely do papers take the bull by the horns and openly label the leader of a political party a liar. This was one of those rarities.
The paper showed beyond all reasonable doubt that Liam Adams continued to be a fully functioning member of Sinn Fein long after Gerry Adams had claimed he was sent packing. It gave the party the appearance of the Catholic Church moving those it suspected of abuse from place to place. Gerry Adams in a feeble attempt to fend off any exposé of this nature insisted he could not tell his party colleagues that he suspected his brother of being a child rapist out of a desire to comply with Aine Tyrell’s demand for anonymity. Tyrell however disputed this saying it ‘was nonsense. I'd have accompanied Gerry to meet his colleagues in Sinn Féin, to talk to the ard comhairle about what Liam had done so they could expel him from the party.’
Sinn Fein at the time seemed distinctly uncomfortable by all of it. It struggled to persuade anybody outside the party that Gerry Adams’ account, which the Sunday Tribune shredded, did not amount to a cover up a la the Catholic bishops. Its response was often incoherent and bordering on the hysterical. Broadcasters were told ‘shut your gob’ while women in the party were ridiculing themselves by hectoring journalists that they should not intrude on the tragedy of a family rather than rally to the defence of a woman claiming to have been serially raped by her father. Going on a rant that it was all a conspiracy by dissidents or those hostile to the peace process had little purchasing power. Anybody aligning themselves with such logic risked becoming susceptible to the charge that they lacked the moral courage to tackle a stand-alone issue.
Because of the personalities involved this case has attracted a lot of pre trial interest and speculation. Many people have reached the conclusion that Liam Adams is guilty before he has an opportunity to present his case. He deserves to face trial. He also deserves a fair trial. If he cannot get that he should not be tried at all. Regardless of the allegations against him justice should be fair not foul.
Anthony,
ReplyDeleteNot only does the coverup resemble the machinations of the Catholic Church, but if I recall correctly the Catholic Church in fact were involved. I recall from the UTV documentary at the time that Aine reported Fr Aidan Troy turning up on her doorstep and attempting to discourage her from making the matter public owing to the damage that would be done to Gerry A. I found that part almost as shocking as the relevations themselves - maybe I should not have.
Comrade Stalin,
ReplyDeleteI forgot all about that.
But the people allowed the sunday tribune to crash and burn into nothing
ReplyDeletewhilst Gerry went forward with more people support-
michaelhenry,
ReplyDeleteif you remember correctly Adams pulled the rabbit of all rabbits out of the proverbial hat and managed to deflect sympathy from Aine to himself.
People were sucked in there is no doubt about it. The A/Town News had a centre spread of well-wishes for Gerry.
Houdini could not have gotten out of that one the way he did.
The sad and very sick thing about it all was the fact that,behind all the misplaced backslapping and totally undeserved 'chin up' tidings, a young woman was re-living a physical and emotional horror and Adams was doing his best to cover it up.
michaelhenry
ReplyDeletei dont go in for feminism and OTT political correctness. I think women can more than fight their corner, as divorce courts regularly show.
However, you are a shocker where your priorities are on this one.
Both Liam and Gerry should be keelhauled. County Louth turned out to be a sewer in my opinion voting that family in. The 'ends' justifying the means has blinded SF support to all reality.
Hey, michaelhenry, what age are you? I didn't believe Adams about what he said about his Da, let alone saying that he didn't know Liam was in SF (even a cumann that met at the bottom of his street!). It's sheep and idiots like you that keep voting for this lying Bastard that keep him in the luxury he's used to!
ReplyDeletemichealhenry, by the way, it's a girl that is saying that she was raped since 4 years of age we're talking about here, and, you still make a cheap political point.
ReplyDeleteSorry to everyone (except michaelhenry) to be writing in short bursts like this (something michaelhenry would know nothing about, "short bursts" that is!), but my computer keeps freezing on me.
ReplyDeletemichaelhenry, do you still think SF are republicans, given McGuinness's lastest mumblings? And if so, why? Explain. Myself and others like me will be doing all in our power to expose SF for every cut, u-turn and downright lie they've done/told people right up to and during the next election/s to make sure people have an alternative to vote for.
ReplyDeleteThe brother of Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams is to appeal against his extradition to Northern Ireland.
ReplyDeleteHe is wanted to face 18 charges of sexually assaulting his daughter.
On Monday, the High Court in Dublin ruled he should be transferred to Northern Ireland to face the charges.
His barrister Michael O'Higgins told Mr Justice John Edwards on Thursday that his client would seek leave to appeal against the ruling to the Supreme Court.
Mr Adams, 56, has denied abusing Aine Tyrell, who has waived her right to anonymity.
The appeal will be based on five points of law, to be lodged by the end of the day.
Mr Adams was granted continuing bail until Monday when the case is due for mention again.
The High Court will decide if his points are grounds to appeal to the Supreme Court.
Mr Adams is accused of rape, indecent assault and gross indecency at various addresses in Belfast between March 1977 and March 1983, when his daughter was aged between four and 10.
The allegations were first reported when Ms Tyrell took part in a television documentary in 2009.
Mr Adams handed himself in to police in Dublin last year after a European Arrest Warrant was issued by the PSNI
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-15203520
Michael,
ReplyDelete"The people" also made the Sunday Independent the most popular newspaper in the country and Fine Gael the largest political party. And what about Daily Ireland? Didn't the people also allow that pro-SF newspaper to die?
belfastgit-
ReplyDelete" Myself and others like me [ there are others like you ] will be doing all in our powers to expose Sinn Fein"
When are you going to start- will this alternative that you see fare any better than the last bunch-
Alfie-
You are right about the sunday independent-fine gael-[ well the next election is in 3 weeks ] and the Daily Ireland- they are/were a product of peoples choice- cant see youself supporting those 3- but i could be wrong-
michaelhenry, there are plenty of people like me, you know, people that can think for themselves, as opposed to morons and robots that believe anything that lying Bastards tell them (like you).
ReplyDeletemichaelhenry, you still haven't answered my question about SF being republicans. Do you have to toddle off to ask someone what standard answer to give?
ReplyDeletemichaelhenry is a shinner alright.
ReplyDeleteHis robotic outbursts of nonsense leads me to believe he's attending night classes on Adamsism.....
This time next year he could well move up a rung or two in the party.
Maybe even the whole way up a ladder with election posters.
Comrade Stalin U r dead on right.
ReplyDeleteAine Tyrell can only be deemed a brave woman and strong... She has experienced/is experiencing ongoing betrayals/ongoing abuse of her rights... It is very hideous, tragic stuff... I hope Liam does a long lag.
@ Anthony you are welcome to spruik my very won Molested Catholic ID card on your site :-) to invite others to obtain their very own. Just click on my name to view. (i cannot stop laughing vengefully when think of all those lying toerags in the Vatican viewing it - well i hope some do)
It is kinda empowering too after decades of feeling misplaced shame.
John B has also created a in your face Tshirt - featured on my blog entry with card. From the site Molested Catholics:
'Militia against abuse of the religious by those Exploited, Molested and Abused by Religion'
michaelhenry
ReplyDeletewas drinking with a few ex prisoners in Derry. some SF some left it. There is no major shock, just a grudging acceptance that SF leadership was compromised to the hilt decades ago. Not a case of flushing out a rat, more of trying to figure out who wasn't a rat lol.
theres mixed feelings but i sense McGuinness still very well liked.
Theres a feeling it would be good to put him in the park just to get a laught at Irish defence forces discomfort.
Adams always put the party before victims of all forms of abuse. This is nothing new. Like mcg they both deny the truth at all costs for the sake of power and control. Evil deeds were done to protect the institution and heinous crimes were committed - the people of Ireland if they vote for mcg then it is a vote for past violence!
ReplyDeleteBelfast git
ReplyDeleteIs it possible if michaelhenry rows in behind your views then he will become somehow visionary and less of a moron. Maybe just your robot then
Just a thought
Peader, I never have , nor ever will want anyone to be my robot. Is it a sore point with you, that if someone says something contrary to the SF mantra that they are wrong? If anyone spouts the bullshit that michaelhenry does, I will challenge them.
ReplyDeleteLOL@Dixie
ReplyDeleteBelfastgit,
ReplyDeleteyou are up early
Peadar, I still have a lot of friends that are in SF and they were as horrified as anyone by Gerry and Marty's ravings and outbursts.
ReplyDeleteAM, I am indeed! LOL. So are you! I don't mind getting up really early now and again to give Mrs. Git a break and do some cleaning and ironing and so on. I'll probably put the head down for a few hours at about 2pm, yourself?
ReplyDeleteBelfast Git
ReplyDeletecritical analysis has never been a sore point for me nor do I follow a SF mantra. Moron and robot however hardly constitutes a critique on Michaelhenrys politics.
Belfast Git,
ReplyDeleteI am up early every morn. Habit from jail. Then I headed out and browsed the bookshops this morning and around one I had the sleep of the dead!
sleeping in afternoon outside of spain is a sign of old age.
ReplyDeletelarry,
ReplyDeleteThe one bad thing about old age is the number of people who never get to it acquire it