Scarlett's mother denies neglect claims

The mother of murdered teenager Scarlett Keeling has denied she was guilty of neglecting her daughter and said she would not answer a court summons to face such allegations in India.

Fiona MacKeown, who left Scarlett, 15, alone in India while the rest of the family went travelling, has been summoned to Goa for a hearing on Wednesday to answer allegations of neglect.

Scarlett's death was originally viewed as accidental drowning by police, but Mrs MacKeown, 43, campaigned for the case to be re-examined and a second post-mortem examination revealed the teenager had been raped and murdered on Anjuna beach on 19 February.

Mrs MacKeown, from Bradworthy, Devon, claims the authorities attempted to cover up the true cause of death and fears she will be arrested if she returns to India. She "denies absolutely" any suggestion that she was guilty of neglect. Her spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: "She is not going to court because it is far too short notice and she requires assurance it will be safe for her to return to India without fear of arrest."

Her lawyer Vikram Varma will attend the hearing. He said the allegations have "no substance" and "powerful forces" wanted to cover up the death.

The second batch of tests on Scarlett's body found evidence of the drugs ecstasy, cocaine and LSD. Two men, Samson D'Souza, 29, and Placido Carvalho, in his 30s, have appeared in court on suspicion of drugging Scarlett and assisting in the murder by that act. The police officer who first investigated the death was dismissed in April.

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