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Scarlett's mother given last chance to rebut charges
Authorities in Goa on Saturday said it was the last chance for the mother of murdered British teenager Scarlett Keeling to appear in court to face charges of neglecting her daughter's wellbeing.
- Agencies
- Published: 23:29 October 11, 2008
Panaji: Authorities in Goa on Saturday said it was the last chance for the mother of murdered British teenager Scarlett Keeling to appear in court to face charges of neglecting her daughter's wellbeing.
The state government's Directorate of Women and Child Development said Fiona MacKeown had until October 15 to turn up in person to refute allegations raised by a local social welfare group.
"The matter was adjourned on two earlier occasions, September 18 and October 8," the directorate's chief Sanjiv Gadkar said referring to two notices to Fiona that had gone unheeded.
The notices followed a complaint by a Goa-based non-governmental organisation, Utt Goenkara, charging Fiona with violating the Goa Children's Act 2003.
The charity alleges that Fiona failed in her duty as a parent by leaving 15-year-old Scarlett in "unlawful custody" in Goa while she and the family holidayed elsewhere in India.
Scarlett's body was found on a beach in February this year. A post-mortem examination later found she had taken a cocktail of drinks and drugs before she died.
MacKeown's Goan lawyer, Vikram Varma, said the threat to proceed with the case in the absence of his client was unfair.
Fiona pressured police into opening a murder investigation after detectives initially dismissed Scarlett's death as accidental.
Two local men were later arrested and are awaiting trial on suspicion of raping, drugging and leaving the teenager to die.
In a written notice sent to Varma, the directorate's chief Sanjiv Gadkar said, "This is the last opportunity given to her, failing which the matter shall be proceeded ex-parte against her and will be decided as per law."
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