WEST Belfast woman Máiría Cahill last night dismissed an apology by Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald in relation to her alleged sex abuse at the hands of a senior republican as "woeful".
Police Ombudsman Dr Michael Maguire's office released a damning report this week WHICH found RUC Special Branch had information about the sex abuse of three alleged victims in 2000, but did not act on it at the time.
The SDLP councillor and former senator told police she had been sexually abused by senior republican Martin Morris, who now lives in England, from 1997 to 1998, when she was 16, and in subsequent years was subjected to an IRA 'investigation' of her allegation.
Two other women who were young children at the time of the alleged abuse also made police complaints against the same man in 2010.
The PSNI initiated investigations and a number of people were charged with offences. However, in 2014 the trials of the man accused of the rape and of those accused of involvement in the IRA investigation collapsed.
The Ombudsman found that RUC Special Branch were aware of alleged abuse by a senior republican back in 2000 and had information that "sufficiently specific" and could have easily identified abuse victims but this was "not disseminated and there is no evidence of any police investigation or enquiries as a result of it".
Ms Cahill has been scathing in her condemnation of Sinn Féin who she said publicly dismissed her allegations despite being aware as far back as 1997.
Party president Mary Lou McDonald apologised "unreservedly" yesterday, saying: "I have no doubt that the three women at the heart of this report have been through an ordeal.
"I want to commend their bravery, in particular the bravery of Máiría Cahill for waiving her anonymity.
"Sinn Féin has robust procedures in place for mandatory reporting of abuse.
"I deeply regret that these procedures were not in place at the time of Máiría Cahill's disclosure. For this I unreservedly apologise.
"I wish Máiría Cahill every best wish for the future," Ms McDonald added.
However, Ms Cahill said: "I think Mary-Lou's statement was cowardly and woeful, and that is me being kind to Mary-Lou.
"Mary-Lou McDonald has failed to admit that there was an IRA investigation into my abuse.
"She has failed to admit that Martin Morris was a party member and that Sinn Féin suspended him three years after the first senior Sinn Féin people became aware that I was being abused, and that's what she needs to do", she added.
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said the republican movement needed to disclose "if any other child abusers or rapists are freely living and working in our communities".
"It is now time for Sinn Féin to tell the public and the police if they are aware of any other abusers living in our communities", he added.
Chief Constable George Hamilton also apologised for the failings of his force in relation to the case, saying he had met with Ms Cahill yesterday to apologise personally.
He said afterwards that he would "work together" with the west Belfast woman "to ensure we learn the lessons so that no other victim faces the failures that you have over past number of years".
Ms Cahill said that she accepted his apology, "and will meet police again in an effort to use my experience to ensure this never happens to anyone again".
She added that she had been forced to report a number of online trolls to the PSNI who made harassing and sexually abusive online comments following the release of the ombudsman's report.
