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Scarlett Keeling murder: Did no one kill my daughter, asks victim's mother

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ANI Panaji (Goa) [India]

Disappointed by a court's verdict to acquit the accussed reportedly involved in the murder of her 15-year-old daughter Scarlett Keeling in 2008, her mother Fiona MacKeown on Thursday said that it seems as if no one had killed her.

Samson D'Souza and Placido Carvalho were accused of drugging and sexually abusing British teen Scarlett after a party, and left her to die in shallow sea water.

The court cleared both men of all charges due to lack of circumstantial evidence, even as MacKeown repeatedly maiantained that there has been an attempt to hush up the crime.

"I wanted to know why my daughter died. I want to know every single detail of the case. Because I did not trust the police, the police have been lying from the beginning. I find it ludicrous that these points have been brought up and very, very sad that the murderers are walking free, and apparently no one killed my daughter," she said.

 

Police originally said Keeling had drowned after taking drugs, but changed their story after MacKeown complained, and a second autopsy concluded she had been raped and murdered.

MacKeown has also accused the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) of corruption after the accused were let off.

MacKeown now plans to move a higher court against the judgement.

"Certainly, I mean we are still examining the judgment in detail, and after a discussion and taking other opinions, we will move forward to the high court," said Vikram Varma, her lawyer.

Keeling's case has raised questions about the safety of tourists in the coastal state of Goa amid claims of police negligence.

The Indian media said at the time that there may have been an initial attempt by the police to down play the death to protect Goa's tourist industry.

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First Published: Sep 29 2016 | 8:17 AM IST

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