Gerry Adams: My Dad Was Child Sex Abuser

Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams has revealed that his late father subjected family members to physical and sexual abuse over many years. Adams—whose brother Liam is being sought by police for abusing his daughter—says he learned in the late '90s that his father had abused some of his 10 children, though not Gerry, the Telegraph reports. Adams says his father died a lonely man because of his actions.

"Abuse of any kind is horrendous, but sexual abuse, particularly of a child, is indescribably wounding and heartbreaking," Adams said in a statement. "Victims of abuse in our family are still, years later, recovering from the trauma inflicted on us. Our prayer is that everyone will be healed. We believe that there is a way out of this awfulness. I wanted this to be publicized because there is a culture of concealment."
(More Gerry Adams stories.)