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Gerry Adams faces further questions over Jean McConville murder Gerry Adams faces further questions over Jean McConville murder
(about 1 hour later)
Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams is beginning his third day in custody as he faces further questions about one of the most notorious murders of the Northern Ireland Troubles – the kidnapping, killing and secret burial of Jean McConville. The Sinn Féin leader, Gerry Adams, is beginning his third day in custody as he faces further questions about one of the most notorious murders of the Northern Ireland Troubles – the kidnapping, killing and secret burial of Jean McConville.
Adams is being held under the 2000 Terrorism Act but will have to be released later on Friday unless charges are brought against him. The former West Belfast MP has been detained under the 2000 Terrorism Act at the serious crime suite at Antrim police station since Wednesday evening. The Police Service of Northern Ireland can hold him without charge until later on Friday, at which point detectives could apply to a judge for extra time.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) could apply for an extension from a judge to gain extra time to hold Adams, release him pending a report to Northern Ireland's director of public prosecutions or free him unconditionally. Adams is the seventh person to be arrested this year over the abduction, fatal shooting and burial of McConville just before Christmas in 1972. Ivor Bell, an IRA negotiator with the British government in the same year McConville disappeared, has been charged with aiding and abetting the murder. He denies the charges.
The former West Belfast MP has been in custody at the PSNI's serious crime suite at Antrim police station since Wednesday evening. On Thursday night McConville's eldest daughter, Helen McKendry said she would "name the names" of those involved in her mother's death.
As he continues to be questioned over the IRA's murder of the mother of 10 in 1972, the widow's eldest daughter Helen McKendry said on Thursday night she would "name the names" of those involved in her mother's death. She told the Guardian: "I spent the first 20 years of my life being afraid of these people, of fearing to speak out, but now I am no longer afraid."
Adams is the seventh person to be arrested this year over the abduction, fatal shooting and burial of McConville just before Christmas in 1972. McKendry, who witnessed her mother being dragged away from their home, said she was prepared to identify the abductors despite a fear of reprisals – in contrast with her brother Michael, who earlier in the day told the BBC he was not prepared to say who was involved.
His one-time republican comrade and IRA negotiator with the British government in the same year McConville 'disappeared', Ivor Bell, has been charged with aiding and abetteing in the 37-year-old woman's murder. Bell, who has long been alienated from Adams after being expelled from the IRA, denies all charges against him. She said: "If full cooperation into the murder of my mother includes naming those who I saw bursting into our flat, who dragged my mother away from us at gunpoint, and who were directly involved in her disappearance and murder, then yes, I would be prepared to name names. To me that is not informing but doing my duty to my mother."
On Thursday night, Martin McGuinness, Northern Ireland's deputy first minister and co-negotiator with Adams in Sinn Féin during the peace process, revealed he had telephoned 10 Downing Street and expressed his concern to David Cameron about his close friend's arrest.
Speaking to the Guardian from her home on Thursday, Helen McKendry, who has spent 20 years campaigning to bring her mother's killers to justice, said: "I spent the first 20 years of my life being afraid of these people, of fearing to speak out, but now I am no longer afraid."
McKendry, who witnessed her mother being dragged away by the IRA in 1972, said she was prepared to identify the abductors despite a fear of reprisals – in contrast with her brother Michael, who earlier in the day told the BBC he was not prepared to say who was involved.
She said: "If full cooperation into the murder of my mother includes naming those who I saw bursting into our flat, who dragged my mother away from us at gunpoint, and who were directly involved in her disappearance and murder, then yes – I would be prepared to name names. To me that is not informing but doing my duty to my mother."
McKendry said detectives had told the family that the PSNI had obtained as many as 11 tapes – testimonies from former IRA members – from a US academic archive relating to the killing.McKendry said detectives had told the family that the PSNI had obtained as many as 11 tapes – testimonies from former IRA members – from a US academic archive relating to the killing.
The continued detention of the Sinn Féin leader over the McConville murder has thrown the delicate political settlement in the province back into crisis. The detention of Adams over the McConville murder has thrown the delicate political settlement in the province back into crisis.
The PSNI chief constable, Matt Baggott ,has denied any political motivation in the arrest and has promised that the investigation would be "effective, objective and methodical". Martin McGuinness, Northern Ireland's deputy first minister and a co-negotiator with Adams in Sinn Féin during the peace process, said he had expressed his concern to David Cameron about his close friend's arrest.
Nationalist and unionist politicians on both sides of the Irish border have dismissed Sinn Féin allegations that Adams's arrest is designed to damage the party's prospects in elections later this month. The PSNI chief constable, Matt Baggott, has denied any political motivation in the arrest and promised that the investigation would be "effective, objective and methodical".
The abduction, fatal shooting and covert burial of McConville, a 37-year-old protestant who became a Catholic, continues to haunt both Adams and the peace process. Nationalist and unionist politicians on both sides of the Irish border have dismissed Sinn Féin allegations that Adams's arrest was designed to damage the party's prospects in elections later this month.
The West Belfast woman was dragged away in front of her children at their home in the Divis flats complex by an IRA gang, driven across the border to the Republic, shot in the head at a remote coastal spot in County Louth, then buried in secret. McConville, 37, a Protestant-born Catholic convert, was dragged away in front of her children at their home in the Divis flats complex in west Belfast, driven across the border to the Republic, shot in the head at a remote coastal spot in County Louth, and then buried in secret. She became the most famous of the "disappeared" – 16 IRA victims shot and buried at secret locations across Ireland during the Troubles.
She became the most famous of the "disappeared" – 16 IRA victims shot and buried at secret locations across Ireland during the Troubles.
Former IRA members including Adams's former friend, the hunger striker Brendan Hughes, have alleged that the future Sinn Féin president gave the order for McConville to be "disappeared" after she was shot as an informer.Former IRA members including Adams's former friend, the hunger striker Brendan Hughes, have alleged that the future Sinn Féin president gave the order for McConville to be "disappeared" after she was shot as an informer.
Her family have always rejected any suggestion that she was a British army agent, pointing to Northern Ireland's former police ombudsman Nuala O'Loan's investigation, which found no evidence of their mother working as an informer. McConville's family have always rejected any suggestion that she was a British army agent, pointing to Northern Ireland's former police ombudsman Nuala O'Loan's investigation, which found no evidence of their mother working as an informer.
Adams has consistently denied claims of involvement in the McConville murder or of being in the IRA. Adams has consistently denied claims of involvement in the McConville murder and of having been in the IRA.