Year at least before Boston nanny case heard

It could take up to a year, if not longer before the case involving a Cavan nanny charged in connection with the death of a baby girl in Boston, is heard. The prosecution services are still ascertaining the severity of the charges to be brought against 34-year-old Aisling McCarthy Brady, a native of Moher, near Lavey. However a spokesperson for the Middlesex County District Attorney office told The Anglo-Celt that once court proceedings are fully instigated, it could still take up to 12-months before the case is heard. Mrs McCarthy Brady denies the charges. Since the story broke yesterday evening, the incident has made the headlines worldwide. Reaction on social media sites has also been swift. On Facebook, a 'Support for Aisling McCarthy Brady' page has been set up with local people posting messages of support for the Lavey woman. However, negative commentary has also been posted, albeit removed quickly. From a family-of-nine, Mrs McCarthy Brady had been living in the US for the past decade. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency have since stated though that McCarthy Brady had overstayed her 90-day authorisation for the US after entering the country in 2002. She remains in custody after she appeared before Cambridge District Court in Quincy yesterday (Tuesday afternoon GMT) charged with assault and battery of a one-year-old girl, named as Rehma Sabir. Baby Sabir, who died last week suffering from "massive brain swelling" had been in the care of McCarthy Brady. The prosecutors say that Sabir was assaulted on her first birthday on January 14 and died last week at the Boston city's Children's hospital two days later. Middlesex District Attorney Gerard T. Leone is reported as saying "We allege the defendant violently assaulted a one-year-old child, causing a devastating head injury and broken bones". In court yesterday (Tuesday) Middlesex Assistant District Attorney Katherine Folger said on the day of January 14, the infant's mother left the home at around 9.30am, leaving baby Sabir in the sole care of the Irish nanny. At 4.42pm Mrs McCarthy Brady called for medical help. Cambridge police went to the Ash Street address where they found the baby girl unresponsive, breathing but unconscious. The DA's office says Sabir also had numerous bone fractures that were in the process of healing. They further say that the infant was in the sole care of the nanny during the time when she apparently sustained injuries that prosecutors say are 'consistent with abusive head trauma'. A full autopsy on the body of the child is currently underway, and results are expected later this week. Further charges are anticipated following the conclusion of the final report by the Chief Medical Examiner. Mrs McCarthy Brady, who had recently married in the US to her partner Donald McCarthy from Cork, is denying the allegations. Lawyers for the Irish woman say the child did not die at her hands; that baby Sabir had been travelling overseas during the Christmas period with her family, which included stops in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. "Who knows what could have happened?" her defence attorney told the court. McCarthy Brady was released on a $500,000 bail, however the charges facing the Cavan nanny are expected to be upgraded to murder. She was ordered to surrender her passport. She is due to appear again in court on February 22 for a pretrial hearing.