UK minor's mother suspects foul play
Demands Second Autopsy Of Daughter's Body
Preetu Nair | TNN
Panjim: Fiona McKeown, whose minor daughter was found dead under mysterious
circumstances at Anjuna beach in North Goa, has refused to take her teenage
daughter's body home in Devon, UK, till cops conduct a second autopsy.
"I am absolutely convinced of foul play in my daughter Scarlette Keeling's
death and want the police to conduct a second autopsy. I suspect that my
daughter was sexually abused and assaulted," said Fiona. Her suspicions are
not without a base as the autopsy report submitted by the police surgeon
states that Scarlette had an abrasion on the forehead and eyelids and
bruises on both the shin made with a blunt weapon.
North Goa SP Bosco George said he would recommend a second autopsy. "We are
making arrangements to send the girl's viscera and smear stride and swabs
for forensic tests to Delhi," he said.
Though Goa police at first dismissed the British girl's demise as "death due
to drowning", they're now examining whether the death was homicidal or
accidental. "We will give a report within two days whether the death was
homicidal or accidental. At present, we are checking on the people who were
last seen with the girl," said the SP.
According to the police, 15-year-old Scarlette was last seen at Lui Cafi in
Govekarwado, Anjuna in the company of two restaurateurs and a local drug
supplier, both from Anjuna, who were known to her. A waiter at Lui Cafi
confirmed the information. "Scarlette was at the Cafi with two locals till
about 4 am on February 18. She was in an inebriated state and couldn't even
stand straight. Once we closed at 4 am, she left with the two men," the
waiter said. In the morning, cops found her semi-naked body floating in the
water near Lui Cafi at 7.15 am.
Locals who knew Scarlette find it difficult to believe that she died because
of drowning. "Her family members are good swimmers and she wouldn't have
gone into the sea at night, knowing very well the risks of swimming in a
rocky area at night," said Richard Pereira, who owns a shack in the area. As
the locals described the girl as a friendly, warm person, they alleged there
was a darker side to her personality. "She was heavily into drugs. She used
to pay for the drugs in kind, as she had no cash," a local boy said.
Her mother admitted that Scarlette would frequently experiment with charas,
but she never bought it. "She never had much money and always smoked charas
in a group," she said.
Cops said the family had arrived in Goa on November 22, 2007 and was seen at
a shack, Curlie's, in Dando, Anjuna, which is owned by Anjuna sarpanch Edwin
Nunes aka Curlie. "She was friendly with Curlie, his friend Roy and Julio
and would go as an escort with customers on dolphin and crocodile trips
organised by Roy and Julio. But she was never paid for the job," her mother
said. However, Curlie denied he knew the girl and her family. There are
complaints of illegal activities at Curlie's and the Mapusa police are
probing into it. "We are keeping a watch on the activities at Curlie's,"
said Mapusa deputy SP Subhash Goltekar.
The Goa State Commission for Children has decided to take up the death with
the state government. "We are studying the death and will talk to cops and
the government officials," said panel's chief Uday Ballikar. (ENDS)
