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THE PSNI HAS confirmed it is to re-examine the transcripts of evidence given at the trial of Liam Adams including the testimony of his brother – Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams.
Liam Adams was found guilty of raping and sexually abusing his eldest daughter, Áine Adams, more than 30 years ago at Belfast Crown Court this week.
Gerry Adams gave evidence during the first trial in April – which later collapsed due to legal reasons – that his brother had admitted sexually abusing Áine to him while out walking in Dundalk in 2000.
A brief statement from the PSNI said today: ”As we said at the policing board yesterday the transcripts of the court case will be re-examined and we will not be commenting further at this stage.”
Earlier, the PSNI confirmed that it had sent a file to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) in 2010 recommending no prosecution for withholding information and “the PPS directed no prosecution”.
The statements came after PSNI assistant chief constable, Drew Harris, told the Northern Ireland Policing Board yesterday that the transcripts would be re-examined but cautioned that no new facts had emerged.
He said: “We will re-examine the transcript as you’ve suggested, but I think all the facts that were in all our knowledge in 2010 have not moved on materially since the recent trial.
At Liam Adams’ trial this week a jury of nine men and three women reached a majority verdict of 11-1 on three counts of rape, three counts of gross indecency and four counts of indecent assault which took place between 1977 and 1983.
Gerry Adams first reported the allegations to police in 2007 and told the PSNI again in 2009 ahead of the broadcast of a UTV Insight programme where Áine Adams waived her right to anonymity and went public about her abuse ordeal.
Earlier this week, Adams was repeatedly questioned by journalists about what he knew about his brother’s abuse and what contact he had with him and the police.
But the Sinn Féin president said he had “answered all those questions in some detail on a number of extensive interviews” and added: “I am not going to talk about any of these matters beyond what I’ve just said.”
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