IRA rape victim Mairia Cahill stands by her claims despite Sinn Fein smears

BBC NI current affairs programme Spotlight has won a top award for its expose in the sexual abuse of Mairia Cahill by an IRA man.

The programme by award winning reporter Jennifer O’Leary last night lifted the Scoop of the Year at the Royal Television Society (RTS) journalism awards.

Spotlight: A Woman Alone With The IRA, which was broadcast last October, investigated the republican movement’s handling of sexual abuse allegations against a suspected IRA member.

Maíria Cahill waived her right to anonymity to tell how the republican movement responded to her allegations.

Ms Cahill claimed she was raped by IRA man Marty Morris when she was a teenager, and that the IRA later helped to cover up the alleged abuse.

However, as part of a dirty tricks campaign, Sinn Fein tried and failed to smear Ms Cahill’s name.

Her story was raised on the floor of the Dail in the Republic and put the spotlight firmly on Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams.

BBC Northern Ireland Director Peter Johnston said: “This is a fantastic win for our Spotlight team – particularly with a Northern Ireland story winning in the UK-wide Scoop Of The Year category.

“This recognition from the Royal Television Society follows Spotlight’s long tradition of making award-winning programmes and is a reflection of the dedication of our Spotlight team to produce hard-hitting, high quality investigative journalism.”

Jeremy Adams, Head of Television Current Affairs, BBC Northern Ireland, said it was a “tremendous achievement”.

“The team put a great deal of time and dedication into what was a painstaking investigation and also one of the most important and talked-about television investigations of the past year,” he said.