Woodward Case: Nanny's statement - 'I am enormously relieved,' says au pair

Louise Woodward and her parents, Gary and Susan, were locked away in the Hyatt hotel at Boston's Logan Airport last night.

The lawyers for Woodward had initially ordered the family to say nothing while appeals were pending. However, Louise did make a statement last night which is reproduced in full below:

"My family and I have been trying to re-adjust to life together in the wake of my release. This has proven difficult because of the enormous number of requests for my views and feelings about what has happened.

"I am not yet prepared to make an extensive statement, nor be interviewed, concerning the events of the past year, and I will not be prepared to do so until legal proceedings have come to a conclusion.

"However, I have asked my attorneys to release this statement now, on my behalf, in an effort to respond in a limited fashion.

"I am enormously relieved that Judge Zobel has seen fit to give me back my liberty.

"I am confident that the future direction of this case, including the on-going efforts by my lawyers to investigate further the science underlying the case, will further justify Judge Zobel's decision.

"My relief at being freed does not reduce my desire to obtain total vindication in a case where, as I have said under oath, I committed no crime whatsoever.

"I did not harm, much less kill, Matthew Eappen. I have been deeply saddened by Matthew Eappen's death.

"I experienced the horror of seeing him fail, as I testified in court and as anyone listening to the '911 tape' can readily understand. I loved Matthew.

"I know that his family is unable to understand or believe me, because they are so convinced that I killed him, or at least contributed to his death.

"I pray that further investigation into the scientific evidence convinces the Eappen family that I did their son no harm."

The statement concluded: "I have heard rumours that I have sold my story, or rights to my story, to the news media.

"I want to set the record straight. I have done no such thing.

"I have accepted, and I am thankful for, EF Au Pair's payment of my legal fees and costs, and I'm thankful for the contributions of friends, neighbours and supporters both here and in England that have made it possible for my parents to travel and be with me and will now make it possible for me to live in Massachusetts until my case is concluded.

"I plan to make no further statement until the legal proceedings are over."