I hope CBI report is just: Scarlett's mom

I hope CBI report is just: Scarlett's mom
TNN
PANAJI: With the CBI about to file a chargesheet on British teenager Scarlett's murder case in the children' court by October 24, the mother of the girl whose partially clothed body was found at Anjuna beach in 2008 feels that her daughter will finally get justice. "I hope now that Scarlett will get justice. The last year has been hard. It has been a year of waiting," Fiona MacKeown told TOI from her home in Devon, UK.

When Scarlett's body was first found on Anjuna beach in February 2008, police dismissed it as a case of drowning. But after pressure from her mother, a second post-mortem examination was conducted which revealed that her daughter was murdered and two were arrested in the case. "It has been very hard to get justice in India. At times it felt like everything was against me including the Goa government. Now with the CBI filing the chargesheet, I feel some relief," Fiona said.

Fiona has her hopes pinned on the CBI. After all, she risked entering India, despite knowledge that the Goa police wanted to question her with regard to a complaint filed by social activist Aires Rodrigues that the negligence of the mother had led to the death of the minor girl.

It is alleged that Fiona had left her daughter alone in Goa and had gone with her boyfriend and other children to Gokarna, Karnataka. But Fiona had always refuted these charges and stated that it was an attempt to stop her fight for justice. Few months back, with the court denying the CBI permission to go to UK, she had traveled to Mumbai to give her statement.

"Let's hope the fight was worth it. I think the CBI will do the best job they can and my highest hopes are that they will pin a murder charge on the person or persons responsible," said Fiona.

The CBI will have to submit the chargesheet to the court by October 24. Meanwhile, even as she awaits justice for her daughter, a year later, the mother is still to give her daughter a decent burial. "I am still waiting for the UK coroner to release Scarlett's body to me for the burial," said the mother.

21 October 2009,The Times of India, Goa edition