Two Goa workers acquitted in UK girl’s murder

Two Goa workers acquitted in UK girl’s murder 

Panaji: Two beach shack workers who were accused of sexually assaulting and killing 15-year-old British teenager Scarlett Keeling on a Goa beach in 2008 were acquitted on Friday.

Samson D’Souza and Placido Carvalho were acquitted by the Goa Children’s Court President Vandana Tendulkar in a one line order.

The order will be made public later.

“I am shocked,” Scarlett’s mother Fiona Mackeown told reporters after the verdict.

She is expected to make a detailed statement soon.

D’Souza and Carvalho were accused of sexually assaulting Keeling and leaving her to die, with a cocktail of drugs pumped in her adolescent body, at North Goa’s popular Anjuna beach.

Keeling’s death put the spotlight on the issue of safety of the state’s beaches, which attracts nearly four million tourists every year.

Goa beach workers acquitted in UK teen murder case

Panaji, Sep 23 (IANS) Two beach shack workers, accused of sexually assaulting and killing 15-year-old UK teenager Scarlett Keeling on a Goa beach in 2008, were acquitted by a trial court here on Friday.

Samson D’Souza and Placido Carvalho were acquitted by Goa Children’s Court President Vandana Tendulkar at the end of a trial that lasted eight years.

Speaking to IANS, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) prosecutor Ejaz Khan said the agency would take a call on going in appeal against the judgement only after perusing the written order.

“We haven’t seen the court order yet. We will get a copy of the order on Monday. We will be in a position to comment on the order only after going through the written order,” Khan said.

The two were accused of sexually assaulting Keeling and leaving her to die, with a cocktail of drugs pumped into her adolescent body, at North Goa’s popular Anjuna beach.

Keeling’s death turned the spotlight on the issue of safety of the coastal state’s beaches which attract nearly four million tourists every year.