Former IRA man turned human rights campaigner convicted of abusing daughter

A former IRA member who became an outspoken campaigner against the organization has been convicted of sexually abusing his daughter.

A former IRA member who became an outspoken campaigner against the organization has been convicted of sexually abusing his daughter.

Vincent McKenna, 37, of Belfast, was convicted Friday on 31 counts of sexually abusing his 18-year-old daughter, Sorcha. Sentencing was set for Tuesday in the circuit court at Castleblaney in County Monaghan, where McKenna lived for several years.

He was publicly identified after his daughter, a first-year law student, waived her right to anonymity.

McKenna was convicted of incidents of abuse when his daughter was between 4 and 11 years old.

McKenna became prominent as leader of Families Against Intimidation and Terror, speaking out against continued IRA punishment beatings and shootings within the Catholic community in Northern Ireland. The group, which was disbanded last year, also opposed similar violence by paramilitaries on the Protestant side.