November 2000 Rights campaigner jailed for sex abuse A former human rights campaigner has been jailed for three years for sexually abusing his daughter Vincent McKenna, 37, from Haypark Avenue in Belfast was found guilty earlier this month of 31 charges of sexual abuse against his daughter, S. A court was told the offences took place over a period of eight years, between 1985 and 1993. S wept in her mother’s arms at court in County Cavan in the Irish Republic when the sentence was handed out on Tuesday. She said she was very disappointed that the minimum sentence was handed down. “I’d hoped it would have been a stronger sentence. The verdict in itself was justice, the sentence does not reflect it. “The past two years have been complete hell. I just hope to get back to normal now that it’s over.” She said she hoped that it would “not deter other victims from coming forward”. However, her grandmother, Mary, denounced the judge and said there was “no justice in ireland”. She said the family had been hoping for at least 10 years and were “devastated” at the length of sentence imposed. Scuffles in court Judge Matt Deery paid tribute to S, who had waived her right to anonymity so that her father could be publicly named. He said she was a “courageous young woman”. As McKenna was being led away by police officers, there were scuffles inside and outside the courthouse. It is understood he was struck by a member of the public. McKenna had worked for the anti-violence group, Families Against Intimidation and Terror, before setting up the Northern Ireland Human Rights Bureau in Belfast. He courted media attention at every possible opportunity.