Scarlett mum 'in police protection'
- 00:01:17
- ITN
Scarlett mum 'in police protection'
The mother of murdered teenager Scarlett Keeling has been granted police protection amid fears for her safety.Fiona MacKeown, 43, moved to an "undisclosed location" following warnings from locals in Goa, India.The courts have granted Mrs McKeown police protection after she appealed for help.She added that she was also making preparations for her 15-year-old daughter's body to be moved to Mumbai before being flying it back to the UK.Scarlett, from Bideford, north Devon, was raped and murdered in Anjuna beach while on holiday with her mother on February 16.The pathologist who carried out the first disputed post-mortem examination of her body has been suspended, it emerged on Monday.Mrs McKeown has accused local officials of conspiring with drug dealers in the popular tourist destination to cover up the murder.A later post-mortem showed Scarlett's head had been held under water for five to ten minutes.Mrs McKeown said she understood a third man has been taken into custody by Goan police for questioning in connection with the killing.Already in custody are local men Placido Carvalho, aged between 30 and 35 years old, who has appeared in court on suspicion of drugging Scarlett and assisting in her murder, and Samson D'Souza, 28, who was remanded in custody on suspicion of rape.Mrs MacKeown has said the arrests only came after she refused to believe the police's initial claims that Scarlett had drowned accidentally and urged them to launch a murder investigation.Mrs MacKeown spoke of her fears after being warned by local people that she had angered the Goan drug mafia."I haven't been able to do anything, I'm not even able to take taxis because they are all connected."It's quite likely that if someone thinks they are above the law enough to kill my daughter and get the police to pass it off as an accident, then they would think they are above the law enough to kill me as well.""I have cost them a lot of money, the beaches are empty now."Also at this time of year it's the end of the tourist year and they are looking for foreigners to take their drugs abroad and sell them abroad and they can't do this."Cocaine and other drugs have a limited lifespan and I've messed up a lot of business for them."© Independent Television News Limited 2008. All rights reserved.
ITN | March 24, 2008
