PSNI FACE OMBUDSMAN PROBE OVER HANDLING OF GERRY ADAMS EVIDENCE

Gerry Adams evidence to PSNI now subject to DUP complaint to Police Ombdusman

Gerry Adams evidence to PSNI now subject to DUP complaint to Police Ombdusman

THREE DUP MLAs have filed a complaint with the Police Ombudsman over the PSNI’s handling of the Liam Adams child rape case.

Health Minister Edwin Poots, Jonathan Bell and Jonathan Craig have made a written complaint that the PSNI did not properly investigate a witness statement from Gerry Adams relating to his brother’s sexual abuse of his daughter Aine.

The complaint comes as a senior PSNI officer is expected to be appointed to review the police file on the case.

Liam Adams was last week convicted by a jury on a majority decision of the rape and sexual abuse of daughter Aine Adams when she was a child.

Edwin Poots told the Assembly that she had been let down by the RUC, her uncle Gerry Adams and by the PSNI.

Attorney General John Larkin is to review a decision by the Public Prosecution Service not to prosecute Gerry Adams for allegedly withholding information on his brother.

He waited nine years before reporting to the PSNI about his brother’s admission of abusing his daughter.

Mr Poots said he believed the Police Ombudsman should examine the PSNI’s handling of the matter.

The Lisburn MLA also said there should be “zero tolerance” for those who cover up child abuse.

Health Minister Mr Poots challenged Sinn Féin members who called for Catholic Cardinal Sean Brady to resign over clerical abuse “to step up to the mark today”.

Giving evidence at the first trial in April, Gerry Adams said his brother admitted that he had sexually abused Áine Adams. He made the admission during a “walk in the rain” in Dundalk, County Louth, in 2000, Gerry Adams said.

Gerry Adams said that, during the encounter in Dundalk, his brother, while admitting molestation or sexual interference or assault, did not admit rape.

The Sinn Féin president made his first report to the police about the allegations in 2007, shortly after his party voted to accept the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

Earlier, Gerry Adams said: “I know that I committed no offence and I know that I did what I considered to be the right thing and that I co-operated fully with the PSNI, with the PPS, with the courts, that I gave evidence in the courts,” he said.

“So I don’t have any concerns about that.

“I obviously am concerned that as members of my family pick up the newspapers this morning, and on the back of this press conference will pick up the newspapers tomorrow morning, and wonder why there is such an inordinate attention on this and on me.

“So that’s my primary concern, my primary concern isn’t about me.”

He said he took exception “to a quite despicable lobby that’s going on” over the case and said there was “quite contrived reaction in some quarters”.

“I learned that the DUP, at least some of the DUP, and indeed some in Fiánna Fail, are coming at this in a political way,” he said.

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