Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has said incidents such as the killing of Jean McConville “happen in wars”.

Ms McConville was a widowed mother of 10 who was abducted, murdered and secretly buried by IRA and other republican paramilitaries in 1972. Her body was found on Shelling Hill beach in 2003.

Mr Adams addressed the issue of Ms McConville’s death in an interview on CBS News to be broadcast in the United States on Sunday.

Interviewer Scott Pelley posed the question: “How do you orphan 10 children? What kind of depravity is that?”

Mr Adams said: “That’s what happens in wars. It’s not to minimise it. That’s what American soldiers do, British soldiers do, Irish republican soldiers do. That’s what happens in every single conflict.”

Mr Adams also said his arrest last May by the PSNI in relation to the matter occurred after he became “sick” of the volume of media attention and contacted police to offer a statement.

“Was your arrest a dangerous moment for the peace?” asked Mr Pelley.

“I think so,” replied Mr Adams. “To be quite honest, I was sick, sore and tired of a tsunami of stories based upon these tapes linking me to Mrs McConville’s death. So I contacted the police and said ‘look do you want to talk to me? I’m here to talk.’”

Mr Pelley asked whether the PSNI questioned him as to whether he was “part of the decision” to kill Ms McConville.

“They said I was a senior member of the IRA at managerial level, so I’m bound to have known,” replied Mr Adams.

“And you told them what?” continued Mr Pelley.

“I told them I didn’t,” said Mr Adams.

Mr Pelley then asked whether the disappearance of Ms McConville was “a surprise” to him.

“I didn’t know,” said Mr Adams.

“It was known to the IRA,” replied Mr Pelley.

“Yes, absolutely,” said Mr Adams.

“And you’re saying you didn’t know?” continued Mr Pelley.

“Yes,” said Mr Adams.

The Sinn Féin leader also said he does not “disassociate” himself with the IRA. “I think the IRA was a legitimate response to what was happening here,” he said. “I never will [disassociate from the IRA]. But I was not a member of the IRA.”