Irish nanny accused of ‘violent assault’ on one-year-old girl

Aisling McCarthy Brady, 34, from Quincy, Massachusetts, is alleged to have been the sole carer for the girl on January 14 – her first birthday – when she suffered injuries “consistent with abusive head trauma”, authorities said.

The baby, Rehma Sabir, died two days later in hospital after suffering brain damage.

McCarthy Brady was remanded on $500,000 (£315,000) bail after pleading not guilty to assault and battery on a child causing substantial bodily injury.

But she may face a murder charge after an autopsy report by the Chief Medical Examiner is finalised, the district attorney’s office said.

Eamon Gilmore, Ireland’s Foreign Affairs Minister and deputy prime minister, said consular services were available for the family.

“We normally provide assistance if somebody finds themselves in this situation,” he said.

“Any Irish citizen who gets in difficulty like this the consular services of my department are available to them. The consular services are available in this case.”

Sameer Sabir, the baby’s father, moved from London to the US where he lives with his wife who is originally from Karachi, Pakistan.

It is understood the nanny married Donald McCarthy in Massachusetts last year.

McCarthy Brady’s family, including most of her nine brothers and sisters who also live in the US, have not approached the Department of Foreign Affairs for support.

Her mother Margaret lives in the village of Lavey near Cavan town about an hour outside Dublin.

A local man, who knows the family well but did not want to be named, spoke of the shock in the community after news of the story broke.

“Aisling was a brilliant person, like the whole family,” he said.

“Everybody is in shock. Nobody in the area would believe it. There’s great respect for the family, everyone in the area has.”

McCarthy Brady is classed as undocumented or living illegally in the US. Immigration authorities said she arrived from Ireland in 2002 and was only permitted to stay for 90 days.

She was arrested at the weekend on a charge of assault and battery on baby Rehma.

Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone said: “This is an extremely troubling case, where we allege the defendant violently assaulted a one-year-old child, causing a devastating head injury and broken bones.”