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20:48 GMT, Wednesday, 7 May 2008 21:48 UK

Scarlett mother describes ordeal

Scarlett Keeling

The mother of murdered Devon teenager Scarlett Keeling has described finding her daughter's clothing on the beach where she died.

Scarlett, 15, was raped and found murdered on Anjuna beach, Goa, during a family holiday in February.

Speaking to BBC News about finding Scarlett's sandal, her mother, Fiona MacKeown, said she recognised the imprint of her foot in it.

One man is in custody and another has been bailed by police.

"That's my child's footprint, I'd know that anywhere"
Fiona MacKeown

Ms MacKeown said the discovery of items of Scarlett's clothing on Anjuna Beach had been a "severe shock".

"I think I physically gasped. I recognised the imprint of her foot in the sandal," she said.

"The man I was with said 'Are you sure?' I said 'That's my child's footprint, I'd know it anywhere.'"

Ms MacKeown also found items of underwear and a pair of shorts nearby.

Scarlett Keeling riding an elephant in Goa She said that was the moment she realised that the initial police claim, that her daughter had drowned, was wrong.

A second post-mortem examination revealed Scarlett had been raped and killed after taking ecstasy, cocaine and LSD.

Ms MacKeown made her comments during a visit to Anjuna Beach.

It was part of a trip to India to try to retrieve some of her daughter's internal organs.

Ms MacKeown said that the week before she died Scarlett had thanked her for taking her to Goa.

"I'll always remember her from the last night we spent with her. I hope I can forget the morgue pictures, they just didn't look like her, I don't want to remember her like that."

Two men have been arrested over Scarlett's death. Samson D'Souza, 28, has been charged with rape and is in police custody.

Placido Carvalho, who was questioned on suspicion of involvement in Scarlett's rape and murder, was granted bail by a court in Goa on 4 April.



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