Indian men cleared of charges over death of British teen Scarlett Keeling

FIFTEEN-year-old Scarlett Keeling had been left by her family when she was found dead on a beach in India.

Scarlett Keeling in Goa a few days before her death in 2008. Picture: AFP PHOTO/HO/Courtesy of Scarlette Keeling's family

THE two men accused of killing a British 15-year-old schoolgirl in India have been cleared of their alleged role in her death.

Scarlett Keeling was in Southern India with her mother Fiona MacKeown and seven siblings when she died in February 2008.

Her body was found bruised and semi-naked on Anjuna beach in the small Indian coastal state, renowned for its hippie lifestyle and relaxed attitude to partying and drugs.

On Friday, Samson D’Souza and Placido Carvalho, were cleared after being charged with culpable homicide, using force with intent to destroy a woman’s modesty and administering drugs with intent to harm.

The prosecution had alleged they plied the young teen with drugs before leaving her to die in shallow water where she drowned.

They denied all charges, claiming that the teenager died an accidental death after taking drugs of her own volition.

Her mother MacKeown said she was shocked by the verdict. She testified during the trial that Scarlett could not have drowned because she was a good swimmer.

‘FREE’ PARENTING

Having gone to India with her family for a six-month trip, Scarlett was staying with a 25-year-old family friend after she begged her mother to be left there while the rest of the family moved down the coast to a neighbouring state.

“She hassled me stupid,” her mother told the BBC. “She was really unhappy, a big sulky teenager making my life really hard.

“My last memory of her is her squealing and jumping up and down, hugging me and saying, ‘Thanks mum, I love you’.”

Four days later, Scarlett’s body was found on the beach, unleashing a torrent of abuse against Ms MacKeown’s decision to leave her daughter there, and her unconventional lifestyle.

It was revealed she had previously lived in a shack surrounded by caravans and there were calls to have her other children taken away from her.

“The newspapers kept going on about my appearance, my hair and clothes,” she said, while defending her “free” method of parenting.

“Why did they care about that and not about what had happened to my daughter? I just couldn’t understand that.”

Fiona MacKeown said she regrets leaving her daughter alone but has been shocked at the vitriol against her. Picture: AFP PHOTO / INDRANIL MUKHERJEE

Fiona Mackeown (C), in 2008 after her daughter’s body left a morgue in India. Picture: AFP PHOTO / AFP FILES

BOTCHED INVESTIGATION

The death shone a spotlight on the dark side of the Indian holiday town where drugs and partying is common.

It was initially dismissed by local police as drowning but Ms MacKeown pushed for a second autopsy which found more than 50 injuries on Scarlett’s body.

It also showed she had been drugged and raped, which sparked criticism of the botched investigation.

Local police were also slammed for delays while the prosecution’s case was dealt a major blow after a key witness, Michael “Masala Mike” Mannion”, decided not to testify. He initially claimed he had seen one of the accused lying on top of Scarlett before she died.

India’s Central Bureau of Investigation is now expected to challenge the ruling meaning this could not be the last of the years-long case.

Ms MacKeown told AFP ahead of the decision “the culpable homicide charge is the most important charge because I believe that she was murdered.”

“I’ll keep coming back to India if necessary,” Ms MacKeown said.

The death shone a spotlight on the seedy underbelly of partying in India. Picture: INDRANIL MUKHERJEE