Granny talks of abuse victim's ordeal

Mary McCleery always thought McKenna was "arrogant"

The grandmother of a girl sexually abused by her father has spoken of the teenager's court ordeal and the family's relief at his conviction.

Victims' campaigner Vincent McKenna, 37, from Haypark Avenue in Belfast was convicted of 31 charges of sexually abusing his daughter Sorcha on Friday.

The abuse was said to have taken place over a period of eight years, between 1985 and 1993, beginning when she was just four-years-old.

Sorcha, 18, waived her right to anonymity so that her father could be named publicly.

Mary McCleery said the family were "over the moon" at the conviction and hoped McKennna, a former IRA man, would get a lengthy sentence.

"It was the best news, we've ever heard. The very best news. I'd like to see him getting a very, very long sentence that he will never, ever be in a position to do this to any other child again," she told the BBC.

"We just hope that justice is seen to be done again, as it was on Friday in the court."

Vincent McKenna: Victims' campaigner

She said the family were extremely proud of Sorcha, who is currently studying law at university.

Mrs McCleery said the teenager had first told her mother of the sexual abuse, before revealing it to her grandparents.

"Sorcha was always a timid child and it just broke our heart," she said.

"We gave them whatever support was necessary."

She said that the family were "shocked" when Sorcha decided to waive her anonymity.

"We didn't know how she would cope with it when she actually came out. But we were so proud of her, when she did it.

"She said: 'Nanny other people are coming through this and nobody knows and they don't have a voice and I want to make sure from now on that there's always a voice and if I have to be that voice, that's the way it has to be.' "

Mrs McCleery pointed out that Sorcha had left the country on Friday night following the three-day trial of her father, who founded the victims' group, the Northern Ireland Human Rights Bureau.

RUC rally

McKenna was also a leading spokesman for Families Against Intimidation and Terror for a number of years, and campaigned for the victims of paramilitary violence.

In his role as a human rights campaigner, McKenna courted publicity and influential contacts.

He was always arrogant, better than anybody else

Mary McCleery

In September last year, he joined former RUC chief constable Sir John Hermon and a number of senior Ulster Unionists at an Ulster Hall rally supporting the RUC.

Mrs McCleery said McKenna had always been a "control freak, he liked to be in charge" and was a "strict disciplinarian" with his children.

"He was always arrogant, better than anybody else," she said.

She said she "could not understand" how McKenna had got accepted in various groups.

"I know he's very plausible. It galled us very much," she said.

McKenna has been remanded in custody and will be sentenced next week.