The North's Attorney General, John Larkin, QC, has queried why action wasn't taken to clarify the specific allegations that Áine Adams made against her father Liam in the presence of Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams.
In his review of the decision by the North’s Public Prosecution Service not to prosecute Mr Adams for withholding information, Mr Larkin found that the PPS acted correctly because, he said, the evidential and public interest tests to justify prosecution were not met.
This is now the end of the matter, said the North's Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Pamela Atchison. Mr Adams will not face any charges over allegations that he withheld information about the rape and sexual abuse of his niece.
Ms Atchison said the PPS was in recent contact with Áine Adams, who “authorised the PPS to confirm that she had nothing further to add to her statements and that she does not wish to see this matter pursued any further”.
“Accordingly, we have concluded there is insufficient evidence to meet the test for prosecution in this case,” she said.
In his 48-page report, Mr Larkin did, however, query whether the PPS was premature in deciding that the evidential test had not been met “in circumstances where the evidence on the file was unclear as to the extent of Mr Adams’ knowledge of the nature of the sexual abuse”.
This related to whether Áine Adams had informed Mr Adams in Buncrana, Co Donegal in 1987 that she had been raped by her father Liam – or whether she had made the less specific allegation of sexual abuse.
Had Ms Adams specifically alleged rape or incest, then Mr Adams would have been legally obliged to inform the police of this allegation against his brother.
“I consider that there was sufficient information regarding Mr Adams’ state of knowledge to at least merit obtaining a further statement from Aine (Adams) concerning the issue of what she had told her uncle,” Mr Larkin wrote.
“Any doubt as to whether the evidential test was or was not met could have been resolved by inviting clarification from the principal witness (Aine Adams),” he added.
Welcome
Mr Adams welcomed the “the conclusion of the PPS that I should not be prosecuted for an offence of withholding information”.
“I committed no offence,” he said. “I have consistently maintained that my sole interest was in helping and supporting Áine, and that in these endeavours I did nothing wrong.
“This report underlines the trauma that allegations of abuse engender within families; the importance of every possible help and support being provided for victims and families; and the legal difficulties that surround such cases, particularly in respect of creating an atmosphere in which witnesses will come forward,” Mr Adams added.
In October 2013, following a collapsed trial earlier that year, Liam Adams was found guilty of all 10 charges against him: three counts of rape, three of gross indecency and four of indecent assault on his daughter Áine between the ages of four and nine.
The offences occurred between 1977 and 1983, when Liam Adams was between 22 and 26.
In November 2013, Liam Adams was sentenced to 16 years in prison.
