Adams family abuse controversy

The Adams family abuse controversy is a political controversy which came to light in late 2009. During 2009-10 there has been a significant amount of controversy concerning allegations of child abuse in the family of Gerry Adams, a senior Northern Ireland politician and leader of Sinn Féin.

UTV Insight Special
In December 2009, a UTV programme alleged that Liam Adams, Gerry's brother, had sexually abused his daughter, Áine Tyrell, for a period spanning about a decade. In response to the programme, Gerry urged his brother to turn himself in to the police and he also alleged that his deceased father, Gerry Adams, Sr., had subjected family members to emotional, physical and sexual abuse. The Police Service of Northern Ireland has issued a European Arrest Warrant for Liam Adams’ arrest.

Irish police involvement
For a time, Liam appeared to be on the run in the Republic of Ireland, but in December 2009 he presented himself at a Garda Síochána police station in Sligo. They were not able to arrest him as they did not have the necessary European Arrest Warrant. Liam did not wish to hand himself into police in Northern Ireland citing unfairness.

On the 3 March 2010, the High Court in Dublin endorsed the European arrest warrant which was issued in Liam Adams' name by the Serious Organised Crime Agency. The following day, 4 March, Liam Adams handed himself over to the authorities in the Republic. When he was arrested he said, "I just want to say I'm not guilty." The Police Service of Northern Ireland are seeking his extradition. Later that day it was reported that Liam had been released on bail of 15,000 Euros until Wednesday 10 March and that he had commented that he was going to resist extradition. The High Court further adjourned extradition proceedings against Mr Adams to allow his lawyers to file their objections to the extradition request. The case is ongoing, at a brief hearing on July 21 Liam applied for legal aid to help fight the extradition.

Enquiries
On 17 January, the BBC claimed that there were reports Liam was a member of a Sinn Féin branch in Belfast. Ian Paisley, Jr. has called for an enquiry into whether Gerry Adams had broken Northern Ireland Assembly rules in the way he dealt with the issue.

Further claims were made in January that Gerry Adams had been informed of physical and sexual abuse carried out by another unnamed Sinn Féin representative on an anonymous victim, but had failed to act. A Sinn Féin spokesperson denied allegations of a cover-up, and stated that an unnamed SF representative had been suspended without prejudice pending police investigations into alleged child abuse.

However as of November 2010 nothing further has happened about Paisley's call for an enquiry, or the police investigation.