Scarlett mother fears for safety

Scarlett's mother fears her family now has enemies in Goa

The mother of British teenager Scarlett Keeling has said she fears for her safety after speaking out over her daughter's death in an Indian resort.

Fiona McKeown has said she fears she could be targeted by the people who killed her 15-year-old daughter in Goa.

She told the BBC she had sent her children back to the UK for their own safety and had gone into hiding.

A pathologist's report has been published concluding that Scarlett was forcibly drowned in shallow water.

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Ms MacKeown has criticised the police handling of the case, as they initially reported Scarlett had accidentally drowned, despite severe bruising on her body.

Following further investigations they said she was drugged and raped, before being left for dead.

Ms MacKeown is now in an undisclosed location and is keeping a low profile amid fears that she has made enemies in the region over her pressure on the police.

There's been a huge amount of pressure and the business - the drug trade on the street - has gone down Lawyer Vikram Varma

She told the BBC: "I moved my children out of the country about two weeks ago because I was worried about their safety.

"We've been warned by lots of locals and press to watch out for our safety. We don't really have any police support or government support in this situation at the moment."

Ms MacKeown said she was planning to ask the police for protection.

Her lawyer Vikram Varma told the BBC that it appeared Ms MacKeown was in danger because she had exposed the "nexus between the drug mafia and the police".

"And because of this exposure there's been a huge amount of pressure and the business - the drug trade on the street - has gone down," he said.

"So they are extremely unhappy with that and they blame her for causing this fall in business."

The pathologist's report, by the Goa Medical College, says Scarlett was held under water for five to 10 minutes, and labels the death a "textbook homicidal drowning".

The partially-clothed body of Scarlett, from Bideford, was found in the resort of Anjuna in Goa on 18 February.

Investigation concluding

Police in the southern Indian province say the report does not alter their own investigation, which is nearing its conclusion.

Goa police chief Kishen Kumar said they had 10 witnesses in the case, in addition to having two local men in custody.

Samson D'Souza, 28, has been charged with rape and Placido Carvalho is being questioned on suspicion of involvement in her rape and murder.

The new report rules out the possibility that Scarlett died of a drugs overdose, and states that the bruising on her body are signs that she struggled with her attacker or attackers.

Her mother said on Saturday that she was "shocked but not surprised" at the details.

I'm just horrified that the police are still covering up my daughter's death. Who are they covering for? It must be someone very important Fiona MacKeown

Mr Varma said the pathologist report was yet more evidence of an attempt to conceal the truth.

"It is what we've been saying all along and what the police have been trying to cover up."

Ms MacKeown said: "I looked at her body and the bruising on her head and face and shoulder is consistent with this. She struggled, she kicked, she tried to stay alive.

"I'm just horrified that the police are still covering up my daughter's death. Who are they covering for? It must be someone very important."

She said she plans to return to the UK "soon" to bury her daughter, but will return to India to ensure justice is done in the case.

Scarlett had been left at the resort with a friend while the rest of the family travelled further afield.

Ms MacKeown has faced allegations, which she denies, that she neglected her daughter.

Defending the decision to leave her with the friend, she said: "He was very, very caring. He would put her to bed early when she had work in the morning, and would make sure she ate healthy food.

"His aunts were also very caring and it felt like a safe, family atmosphere."

She was on a six-month holiday with her boyfriend, Scarlett and six other younger children.

Scarlett's death has had a "huge impact" on the family, she said.

"It has made us more close, and made me more protective of the other children," she said.