EF Au Pair, the organisation that sent Louise Woodward to look after children in the United States, said yesterday it believed she would eventually be totally exonerated. Facing probable civil action from the Eappen family and pressure for the rules governing au pairs to be tightened, EF has every reason to carry on fighting Woodward's corner.
"As we have stated before, we firmly believe that Louise is innocent. She will have our full support and confidence throughout any further legal proceedings," said EF, which is owned by a Swedish millionaire.
Unless she is completely cleared of damaging baby Matthew, EF will almost certainly have to defend a court claim for compensation from his parents.
It will not be the first time. It is presently facing a $100 million (£67 million) claim by the parents of a baby girl, who was burnt to death in a fire they assert was started deliberately by their au pair. EF is said to have spent £400,000 on Woodward's defence.
Ms Olivia Riner, a 20-year-old Swiss national, was acquitted of arson by a US jury. Her defence, like that of Woodward, was paid for by EF Au Pair. The seven agencies licensed to bring au pairs into the US insist there has been no falling-off in the numbers of European girls applying to spend a year in the States, nor of families wanting low-price childcare. But one source admitted there was talk in government circles of change.
Were the Labour Department to oversee the au pair programme, the educational component, small as it is, would probably disappear completely.
That would leave the programme firmly where many outsiders believe it already is - as a scheme to supply cheap childcare to American families which was devised to meet the shortages caused by reduced immigration.
A substantial number of au pairs end up, like Woodward, having sole charge of very small children for up to 10 hours a day. The agencies all point out that there have been only three major incidents in 10 years - the deaths of Matthew Eappen, Kristie Fischer and Brenton Scott Devonshire, whose Dutch au pair's trial for involuntary manslaughter ended in a mistrial in 1994. But in addition, one au pair has been murdered and there have been many instances of the placement not working out and au pairs alleging exploitation or families feeling let down.