Scarlet Keeling was found murdered under mysterious circumstances at the Anjuna beach in North Goa in the year 2008. Her body was found by the police in semi-nude condition and later the postmortem reports suggested murder following the sexual assault. The reports also admitted that the teenager was drugged before the rape.
Scarlet Keeling murder case is one of the Goa’s most controversial issue which is waiting for the justice for past 8 years. Fiona Mackeown, mother of teenager Scarlet Keeling is fighting to get the justice for her daughter past eight years but the culprits are roaming free. Perhaps, In her last attempt to get the justice for her daughter, Mrs. Fiona has decided to reward the person who comes ahead in the favor of her departed daughter. This may be the first its kind of case wherein the foreigner tourist has gone that far to seek the justice in India.
It may be recalled that the bruised body of Scarlett was found on the Anjuna beach in North Goa. The body was found by the police in the partially clothed condition in February 2008. Goa Police initially concluded the teenager died accidentally but, after a campaign by her family, a second post-mortem examination in March 2008 revealed she had been drugged and raped before drowning in seawater. Delays in court saw a trial start in March 2010, but a verdict was not reached until 2016. (source)
According to the sources, she had been out of a Valentine’s Day beach party and a post-mortem showed there were ecstasy, cocaine, and LSD in her system. Following a police investigation two local men, Samson D’Souza, 30, and Placido Carvalho, 42, were charged with causing her death. It is alleged they plied her with drugs, raped her and left her unconscious on the beach where she subsequently drowned. (source)
According to the reports, in an attempt to get justice for her deceased daughter Scarlet Keeling Eden, mother Fiona Mackeown has announced Rs 16.50 lakh approx as reward money to witness who come forward in favor of the 8-year-old case. Advocate Vikram Verma, her legal representative in India told Herald that Fiona along with some of her close friends is on a crowdfunding mission to raise funds for the purpose. The move is essential to trace two locals, who had volunteered to appear as witnesses.
Advocate Vikram Verma also told that media that, they have taken this step since they had been approached by two witnesses earlier during the independent inquiry process. “When we were conducting our independent inquiry (in February 2008) two persons had approached us disclosing the crime. However, they could not be traced thereafter. We had faced a setback in the Children’s Court when the eyewitness (Michael Mannion) refused to appear during the trial which gave an advantage to the accused. Tracking down other crucial witnesses through such a campaign might help us get justice,” he said.
Earlier in the month of September 2016 both the accused were acquitted by the children’s court due to the lack of evidence. The accused had denied the charges of culpable homicide, grievous sexual assault and destroying of an evidence, assault with criminal force with an intent to outrage a woman’s modesty and administering drugs with intent to sexually exploit the victim. They were acquitted by judge Vandana Tendulkar at Goa Children’s Court in September. Scarlett’s mother Fiona MacKeown said the legal process was like “a game of cat and mouse”. She said news of the appeal was “great” but that she still wanted a fresh investigation. (source)
Meanwhile, Fiona has a lot of hope of the justice from the Indian court as the CBI had challenged the verdict of Children’s court before the High Court of Bombay at Goa. According to the sources, an appeal has been lodged in the case of Devon teenager Scarlett Keeling who was killed in the Goa in the year 2008. Her body was found on the north Goa beach in half-naked condition. To make sure that her daughter gets justice this time, Fiona had made her final attempt by announcing the huge reward. “Satyamev Jayate” “Finally the truth will prevail”
