Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams has been arrested by police in Northern Ireland in connection with the 1972 murder of Jean McConville. The 65-year-old presented himself to Antrim police station on Wednesday evening and was taken into custody.
Before his arrest, Mr Adams declared he was "innocent of any part" in the killing. He described the abduction and murder of Mrs McConville, a 37-year-old widow and mother of ten, as "wrong and a grievous injustice". He also rejected what he called "malicious allegations" against him.
Mrs McConville was taken from her home in west Belfast, shot by the IRA, and secretly buried. Her remains were recovered from a beach in County Louth in 2003. The case is linked to the Boston College tapes, which have led to charges against former republican Ivor Bell for aiding and abetting the murder.
Michael McConville, Mrs McConville's son, welcomed the arrest, saying the family sought justice for their mother. Sinn Féin MLA Alex Maskey criticised the timing, coming three weeks before European and local elections.
