The trial of Louise Woodward (19) stirred widespread debate in the US over the controversial issue of working mothers and the risks for parents if they hand over the care of young children to inexperienced teenagers such as foreign au pairs.
Two-thirds of American mothers of children under six work, most from economic necessity. But the fact that both parents of Matthew Eappen, for whose murder Ms Woodward was on trial, were well-paid medical specialists seemed to arouse a class-based backlash against them.
The Court TV channel which carried the trial live received many calls condemning Dr Deborah Eappen for working instead of caring for her two young children full time.
"We've had a fair amount of criticism of her and your heart goes out to her," said Mr Erik Sorenson, head of programming. "It's almost chilling to gauge the reactions towards them (the Eappens)," he said.
The Eappens themselves were shocked to receive hate mail and phone calls accusing them of putting their careers ahead of their children and getting help on the cheap, or "slave labour", as one caller put it.
The fact that the Eappens live in a wealthy Boston suburb seems to have aroused envy as well. A family friend, Mr Matthew McCue, said the couple are devastated not only that they have lost a son but because they feel the public and the media have turned against them because of what they are.
"This is a class issue," Mr McCue said. "This is not just a case of kooks writing letters. There is an element of mainstream society that seems to be blaming them without the slightest knowledge of the facts."
It is pointed out that Dr Eappen, an ophthalmologist, cut back on her work to three days a week and came home to breast feed Matthew at lunchtime. She and her husband spent their free time reading and playing with the children and conferred closely with Ms Woodward about their care.
As a result of the trial, there is greater scrutiny of the au pair system and its shortcomings. Since 1986 it is regulated by the US Information Agency as a cultural exchange programme. The foreign au pairs are given one-year nonrenewable visas to participate in what is called an educational and cultural exchange.
They are expected to enrol for classes at local colleges. Work is supposed to be limited to 10 hours a day and 45 hours a week. The host families provide room and board and pay fees up to US$4,000 to one of eight au pair agencies. Ms Woodward was paid US$115 a week but the minimum rate has now increased to US $140. Mr Mike Bray, director of one of the agencies, Au Pair Programme USA, says: "The biggest headache is communication between the au pair and the family. The biggest challenge is that the au pairs don't have enough time to be with their friends".
The director of USIA, Mr Joseph Duffey, says the exchange programme is not always presented to the young applicants in a way that prepares them for the reality. He believes that it would be better if the programme was run by the Labour Department which is better able to enforce federal work rules.
Rules have recently been tightened to give some training to au pairs. They must now complete 30 hours of child development and safety instruction. Au pairs who care for children under the age of two must have 200 hours of prior infant-care experience.
Mr Duffey says there should be further tightening of rules such as au pairs having to be 21 before caring for children under three.