Husband and wife forced boys to participate in rape of baby girl

A woman who, with her ex-husband, forced two children to participate in the rape of a one-year-old girl during a catalogue of abuse has been jailed for ten years.

Samantha Crawford, 33, and her then partner Michael Cummins, 35, forced the boys, who were aged seven and three, to take part in attacks on the infant.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard how the pair also subjected the boys and the girl to repeated serious sexual and physical assaults during a four-year period beginning in 2014. They also abused a fourth child.

The court heard how the attacks took place at locations in Fife.

The pair, both of Kirkcaldy, stopped the children from telling anyone about what had happened.

They both stood trial earlier this year before judge Lord Harrower, where they denied any wrongdoing against the children. Sentencing had been deferred for the judge to obtain reports on their backgrounds.

On Wednesday, Crawford and Cummins reappeared at court to be sentenced.

Crawford was ordered to serve ten years in custody, while Cummins was told he would serve 14 years in jail.

The pair were also told they would be supervised for years following their release – Crawford for three years and Cummins for four years.

Passing sentence, Lord Harrower said: “Your offending must be categorised as extreme. The impact of your offending on these children will be devastating.

“You do not accept any responsibility and neither of you have shown any remorse for your actions.”

Jurors returned guilty verdicts against the pair who claimed they were innocent of any wrongdoing against the children, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

They had spent a week and a half listening to evidence detailing the impact that the attacks had had on the children.

Judge Lord Harrower remanded Cummins and Crawford in custody.

He told the jurors they would be eligible for counselling if they wanted to speak to somebody about their ordeal.

Records from the ScotlandsPeople website show that Cummins and Crawford were married in Kirkcaldy in 2011 and divorced in 2022.

The court heard evidence of how Cummins and Crawford targeted their first victim, a boy when he was aged seven years old. Cummins raped this child and subjected him to physical assaults.

Cummins also sexually and physically assaulted this child.

Their second victim was a three-year-old child who was repeatedly struck on the head and body with a belt by Cummins – Crawford also repeatedly struck him with her hand on the head and body. He was also sexually assaulted by Cummins.

The third victim was a little girl who was just one year old.

The court heard how the little girl was subjected to rapes on “various occasions”.

The pair also sexually and physically assaulted a fourth boy – he was born earlier in 2014.

During proceedings, the jury heard evidence of how doctors who had examined the victims had come to the conclusion that their injuries had been caused by “traumatic” force.

When prosecutor Erin Campbell asked Cummins, who gave evidence, about his thoughts about this medical evidence, he replied: “That’s their opinion.”

Crawford’s advocate Jonathan Crowe told Lord Harrower that she still maintained her innocence.

Lord Harrower also placed the pair on the Sex Offenders Register for life.