Scarlett's back was clear of injuries, say police

The policewoman who examined Scarlett Keeling’s body for the inquest panchanama told the trial court on Friday that the British teenager had suffered abrasions near the left eye and both knees, but her back was totally clear of injuries.

Reshma Nayak who served at Anjuna police station at the time, was called in early on February 18, 2008 to examine the body lying on the beach, she said. The panchanama was done in the presence of PSI Laxi Amonkar and panch witnesses. Nayak said she noted abrasions around the left eye and both knees and frothing at the mouth, but the back had no injuries. Nayak’s testimony, already contested by the defence as being made up to serve the interest of the prosecution, only adds to the many contradictions in the case.

The first post-mortem done on Scarlett’s body noted four injuries. The second autopsy done at Scarlett’s mother Fiona Mackeown’s insistence, listed 47 abrasions. Judge B P Deshpande who presides over the Goa Children’s Court was also quick to note that a police official was not an expert on medical injuries.

A second witness produced by the CBI on Friday testified that he knew Scarlett well because she was often at Curly’s shack with her boyfriend Julio Lobo. Baptist Anthony D’Souza who runs the O Manuel shack said his Nepali waiter who was out jogging saw the body of a foreigner lying on the beach.

“When Julio came to my shack at 7.15 am looking for Scarlett, I told him about the foreigner found dead near Lui’s shack and told him to verify if it was Scarlett.”

Lawyers defending Samson D’Souza and Placido Carvalho — the two men being tried for the 15-year-old’s death — said neither Nayak’s nor D’Souza’s statements had been recorded by the Goa police. “Their statements to the CBI are false and an afterthought to help the prosecution,” the defence claimed.

Fiona may not make it to trial

There is still a big question mark on whether Fiona MacKeown will be able to give evidence in the trial that began earlier this month in her daughter’s case, reports DHNS from Panaji. Though Fiona is at number 25 in the list of witnesses, S R Rivonkar, special counsel for the CBI said he hoped to get her to testify in Goa by next week.