The family of Aisling McCarthy Brady, the Cavan nanny charged with the death of a one-year-old girl in her care in Boston, has said that she is “terrified and distraught” and “innocent” of the crime.

Her family is pushing a drive to raise funds for her defense team. The 34-year-old woman, who had been living in Quincy, has been in custody in Boston since January following the death of baby Rehma Sabir. The child was found bleeding with serious head injuries and old healed injuries. The baby died in hospital on her first birthday.

McCarthy Brady’s heartbroken family is pleading with supporters to help them to pay for her defense. Last Saturday the family helped organize a fundraiser in the neighborhood of Dorchester in Boston where 200 turned out and donated. Now they plan to host another fundraiser in Ireland on October 4 at the Hotel Kilmore, in Cavan.

Their flyer promoting their next fundraising event states, “She has been wrongfully accused and imprisoned for something she didn’t do.

“As you can only imagine, she is terrified and distraught.

“As a family we are 100% behind Aisling. She is innocent of this crime and not for a second did we dwell on anything else. Our main focus is to clear her name and get her home as soon as possible.

“Aisling has spent more than 13 years in Boston – she loves living there, she’s worked very hard and has always supported herself.

“We are heartbroken for her and there is not a second during the day that we are not thinking about her.”

They added, “Like any legal challenge, especially something as huge as this, the costs are immense.

“For Aisling’s sake we now know we need as much help as we can get.

“We have to believe in the justice system in Massachusetts and hope the truth prevails.”

Rehma Sabir was found to be suffering from subdural hemorrhaging and bruising consistent with violent shaking when she was brought to Boston Children's Hospital. She died on January 14 from her injuries. Doctors also found other healed broken bones and the baby had also been diagnosed as suffering from malnutrition.

McCarthy Brady’s defense team, headed up by Melinda Thompson, claim that “90 percent of the evidence put forward to the grand jury was inadmissible.” They have filed for the case to be dismissed. Judge S Jane Haggerty will present the court’s decision on October 17.