BOSTON British au pair Louise Woodward, convicted of killing baby Matthew Eappen, settled a civil lawsuit brought by the infant's parents with an agreement that bars her from profiting from the case, lawyers said on Friday. Drs Sunil and Deborah Eappen's biggest fear was if Louise Woodward ever became a millionaire driving around in a Rolls-Royce because she killed their baby.

That's what this was about, their lawyer, Fredric Ellis, told reporters. The confidential settlement bars Woodward from realizing any personal gain, although her parents may profit by selling their story, Ellis said. Both Woodward and the Eappens said any money they received in the future would go to charity. In Britain, Woodward said she and her family were happy with the settlement and saw it as a chance to put the incident behind them.

Both myself and my family are very happy with the settlement. I entered into this completely voluntarily and it seemed like the right thing to do, to settle it once and for all, to put an end to it so that we can all get on with our lives, she told BBC Television in an interview. She said she would carry on fighting to clear her name.

On the day Woodward left for home in 1998, the Eappens filed a civil lawsuit in Boston's federal court seeking to bar her from profiting from her crime and their son's death. Few details of the settlement were disclosed. But a statement released by Woodward's lawyer said any money she makes in the future will be assigned by her to the charity of her own choice, namely UNICEF. Ellis said any funds the Eappens receive will go to the foundation set up in their dead son's name.

The settlement is a contract enforceable in almost any country, according to Ellis, and was signed on Wednesday. Both sides on Friday took the formal legal steps necessary to withdraw the lawsuit. (Reuter)