8 yrs after Scarlett murder in Goa, 2 accused acquitted
PANAJI: Two local men accused of drugging, sexually abusing and leaving British teenage girl Scarlett Eden Keeling to die on Goa’s popular Anjuna beach in 2008 were on Friday let off by a children’s court here.
Goa Children’s Court Judge Vandana Tendulkar acquitted Samson D’Souza and Placido Carvalho of all the charges in the eight-year-long high profile death case.
Carvalho and Samson had been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, sexual abuse and drugging.
The verdict was announced in a jam packed court hall.
Scarlett’s mother Fiona Mackeown expressed shock at the verdict. “I am shocked. I was not expecting acquittal. I was expecting conviction. I will challenge the order,” Fiona told reporters outside the court hall here.
After her daughter’s body was found, Fiona had lived in Anjuna for a couple of weeks trying to piece together the evidence in the case. She flew down to Goa from Devon (United Kingdom) to be present in the court for the final verdict.
“It took a huge effort for me to even get the police to register a complaint (in the case),” she said recalling her struggle to get justice for her 15-year-old daughter.
She alleged that the Goa police was not interested in prosecuting the killers.
“It is clear that they (investigating agencies) are either incompetent or corrupt. I don’t believe they are incompetent. And all I can say is that if any international tourist comes to Goa and gets murdered, they have no hope for justice in this system,” she said.
Fiona also claimed that medical evidence confirms that her daughter was grievously assaulted, raped and murdered after some criminals gave her alcohol and cocaine.
Goa chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar termed the judgment as “unfortunate”, but said it will not hamper the image of the coastal state.
“I have just heard about the verdict, I have not gone through the entire judgment. I feel the outcome of the verdict is heartbreaking, it is very unfortunate. Unless, I go through the judgement I would not be in a position to detail my reaction,” he said.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed its charge sheet in the case in 2010 after the probe was handed over to the central agency from Goa Police on repeated pleas made by Scarlett’s family.
Goa Police was accused of trying to “hush up” the case. The 15-year-old’s bruised and semi-nude body was found at Anjuna beach on Feburary 19 2008, following which the police had claimed it as a case of drowning, but later registered it as culpable homicide.
It is clear that they (probe agencies) are either incompetent or corrupt. I don’t believe they are incompetent. All I can say is that if any tourist comes to Goa and gets murdered, they have no hope for justice in this system. FIONA MACKEOWN, Scarlett’s mother