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Mother of Goa murder victim to quiz Minister
The mother of a British teenage girl found raped and murdered on a beach in Goa will today ask a UK government Minister to help get back her daughter's missing internal organs.
Fiona McKeown, whose 15-year-old daughter Scarlett Keeling was found dead on February 19, will meet senior Foreign Office Minister Lord Malloch Brown in London.
She will discuss the investigation into her daughter's case, and ask that UK citizens travelling to Goa should be made aware of the potential risks to them there.
The uterus, stomach and kidneys of Scarlett are still being held by the authorities in Goa following the discovery of her semi-naked body on Anjuna beach.
Mrs McKeown, 43, from Bradworthy, Devon, has said she did not give permission for her daughter's organs to be removed, and failed to get them back on a return visit to Goa.
Goa police said initially that the teenager's death was an accidental drowning, but a second post-mortem examination – following pressure from Mrs McKeown – revealed Scarlett was raped and killed, and a murder investigation was then launched.
Tests also revealed that Scarlett was given ecstasy, cocaine and LSD on the night she died, and Mrs McKeown began a campaign for justice for her daughter. She has claimed that links between police officials, politicians and the drugs mafia hampered a proper investigation – now being handled by the Indian Central Bureau of Investigation.
Scarlett's body was returned to the UK in April, where a third post-mortem examination revealed the absence of some organs.
The teenager's body is still being held by the coroner, and Mrs McKeown hopes eventually to be able to bury her on her land with the missing organs.
Mrs McKeown said yesterday she was would be "pushing" Lord Malloch Brown on the issue of the missing organs.
And she said she wanted to speak to the Minister about insisting the Goan authorities develop "some kind of humanity"over the issue. "The organs are part of her body and I want them back," said Mrs McKeown, adding: "I do not see how they can deny me that."
She said she wanted the Government to make people aware of the risks they could face in Goa because "Scarlett was not the first and will not be the last".
Mrs McKeown said she also wanted to talk to the Minister about changes in the "dire" standard of forensics in Goa, and the policing – "people can get into more trouble for not paying a bribe than paying it".
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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