Sky's Asia correspondent Alex Crawford gives a personal account of meeting the mother seeking justice over the murder of her daughter Scarlett Keeling in Goa.

OK, Fiona MacKeown was unwise. OK, she was naïve. OK, she may live a very unorthodox lifestyle. But let us remember, please, that she has lost a child in the most horrible of circumstances.

From the reaction of some commentators, she might as well have been running a brothel, sold her daughter into sex slavery and then watched while she was slaughtered. The reaction among some is staggeringly unsympathetic - and a lot of it, I would suggest, is based on prejudice.

Yes, Fiona MacKeown may have had nine children in Britain, where that is viewed as wanton irresponsibility by some. Yes, they may have different fathers, at least four. Yes, she lives with her large family in a group of caravans on a nine-acre site in Devon. Yes, she has tattoos and a lip ring.

But where does that translate into bad, uncaring mother? Perhaps in bourgeois Clapham or in the Home Counties where most of the tabloid female writers are penning their scathing commentaries? And yes, they are mostly female, I am ashamed to say.

My crew - cameraman Jamie Matthews, producer Neville Lazarus and myself - have spent most of the past nine days in Fiona MacKeown's company. Until her children were sent back to Britain, we spent a lot of the time with the six children with her too. Unlike the tabloid newspaper writer who seemed to suggest Ms MacKeown's lack of tears made her want to 'scream at the TV', we have watched while she bent over double with grief, her body heaving with sobs as she showed us pictures of her daughter's battered body.

I have hugged her, unable to offer up any comfort while tears ran down her cheeks. She is cool, she is composed, she is assertive and articulate in front of the cameras, but please don't suggest that she isn't hurting, that she isn't feeling remorse and wishing she could turn back the clock.

We were the only TV channel in town showing any interest in her allegations and Ms MacKeown was desperate to get someone to listen to her, to get someone to believe her. She had forced herself to go back into the mortuary having already been there once to identify Scarlett, and she took photograph after photograph  of her daughter's back, arms, legs, even her genital area to show the extent of the bruising and abrasions.

Now imagine that. Her child is dead. She is lying on a slab with her face cut from ear to ear by the initial pathologists who were told she was an unidentified body (and had to take dental records). It takes a certain steeliness, strength of character, determination, call it what you will, for a mother to do that.

The police were telling reporters that Scarlett's body had no marks, that she had been drunk and her body had been found 'floating in water'. She had drowned and there was no suggestion of foul play. Just another tourist who had soaked up too much of Goa's paradise.

Short of dragging reporters into the morgue and tearing off the sheet covering Scarlett (which at one point she threatened to do), she felt driven to take the photographs to try to prove somehow she was right.

Nearly three weeks after her daughter was found dead on Anjuna beach -  she has a) instigated a second post mortem b) managed to get police to launch a murder inquiry c) prompted an internal police inquiry to find who covered up the crime and d) provoked questions in the Indian Parliament questioning safety in the tourist hotspot.

Now in any other world that would be pretty damn amazing, but instead Fiona MacKeown - a single parent who doesn't conform - is being roasted in parts of the media for somehow being partly to blame for her daughter's death.

There's no doubt she made one heck of a bad decision to leave her behind while the rest of the family travelled to nearby Karnataka. It is one she obviously regrets and no-one would attempt to try to explain that away.

But let's remember Fiona MacKeown had been in the country for nearly three months by this time.

She had befriended the people Scarlett was staying with. They were an upstanding church-going Roman Catholic family and although Scarlett had struck up a friendship with a 25-year-old tourist guide called Julio Lobo, like many Indian families, he continued to live with his older aunts. The two families had met, had shared meals together, and felt they knew each other.      

Fiona MacKeown didn't feel she was leaving her 'alone'. She felt she had found an option which suited both - it gave Scarlett the freedom and independence she desired and her mother peace of mind that she was being looked after by caring and responsible adults, albeit a family she had known for a relatively short period of time.

Scarlett came and joined the rest of her family for two or three days every week and there was phone contact every day, her mother says. She has found out through reading Scarlett's diary that she was having a sexual relationship with Julio and says she knew nothing of that before. But even if she did know, even if she made a mistake by leaving her behind, my goodness she is paying for that error now.

Surely we should have some compassion for a woman whose eldest daughter has been violently killed and who is trying to do the right thing?

One British journalist wrote: "Since Scarlett's brutal killing, Fiona MacKeown has fought for her daughter. Would that she had exercised half that dedication and sense of responsibility while Scarlett was alive and in need of a mother's care."

I am sorry but does that writer know anything about what sort of a mother Fiona MacKeown really is? She may have a lot of children but does that give the journalist the right to suggest she somehow loves any less or cares for them any worse?

Ms MacKeown seems to me to have an independence which is admirable, a strength of mind which is remarkable and a determination which is born out of love for her children. She frankly doesn't give two hoots what people who don't know her think of her.

"They are making judgements and they don't know me or my kids," she says. "Anyone who knows me knows I am a good mother and I love my kids."

She is not, as the writer assumes, a "middle class person who should know better". She lives on a farm feeding her kids with vegetables and fruit they grow themselves. Home for them is a series of caravans with no mains electricity - just a generator - and no heating.

She lives an unconventional life and sends her oldest children to an alternative, liberal charity school in Devon. Yes, she does claim some benefits but she raises money through the farmers' market to help pay for the schooling and she cooks there two days a week to help out. Education and the right sort, is a priority. She has even home-schooled her children and during the long holiday in India, she had arranged for them to do remote learning. Her partner Rob Clarke did not pay for the holiday as one newspaper suggested. The family saved up for about nine months and when they still didn't have enough money, they sold some of their animals to cover the costs.

Yet despite money being an issue, she turned down £10,000 offered by a British tabloid for her exclusive story, believing she needed ALL the media on board to get to the truth. 

Having spent many days with them, the children appeared polite, well-mannered, well-fed and loving. She seemed patient, caring and reasonable with them. They in turn, are not loud, spoilt or mercenary. They sat quietly for hours drawing pictures, playing cards, occasionally watching television (which they don't have in England), while television crews moved around them and reporters took up all their mother's time. There weren't the loud, noisy squabbles that I am constantly having to monitor with my own children. They didn't have the modern-day accessories of iPod, laptop, Playstation or Nintendo which seem to be necessary to appease many children. I never saw her shouting at them to get them all out of the door and on the way to her various appointments. She had a natural authority with them and they respected her and were demonstrably affectionate with her.

"I don't know anyone who is with their kids for 24 hours of the day," said Fiona MacKeown.

She's right. I know plenty of my friends who have teenage children and who often leave their older kids at home while they have a night out. Occasionally there are wild parties and too much alcohol drunk and lots of clearing up to do in the morning and groundings to be handed out. But please, if Scarlett Keeling had been murdered on one such parents-night-out in the UK, would we still be having this holier-than-thou debate?

Let's remember the crime here is rape and murder. Not going on holiday to India, not leaving your fifteen-year-old behind, not having tattoos or an alternative lifestyle.

Comments

[Rosie form Devon 6 May 2008 18:11:17]

I think it is so sick, disgusting and BIAS for the media to... take the side of a rapist over a loving mother!! because thats what they are doing when they question the mothers values for a second and scold her for letting a teenager have freedom. if she was my age and on a gap year in India instead what would they say then? I am planning a gap year travelling and it makes me sick to think of the people who do these sorts of things, but mostly at governments WHO COVER IT UP! justice must be brought to the people who do this otherwise it will continue and get worse. As for the mother beniffiting from the media attention.. the only way she will benefit is if JUSTICE is brought because of it! if she hadnt recieved the intrest of the media would any awareness of the subject been raised properly and judged? no, because to authority some things can be withheld from the public and lied about aswell such as claiming that she died of her own fault which is an isult to her memory!
I went to school with her and she does not deserve this!
RIP scarlet

i also strongly disagree with the people who judged scarlet's mother without even knowing her.. im VERY sure that if we looked at your lives we could find words and twist your actions to form harsh reactions towards you. It is not fair to judge people in this way! stereotyping is wrong and leads to problems such as racism, discrimination and predjudice.

giving support to a grieving mother,
Rosie D

[california 17 Apr 2008 18:32:35]

i am terribley sorry for your daughters rape and murder by the hads of indian sex starved demonds....you have known never to trust an indian man ,,why do you trust one?a headen can bnever be trusted...an indian can never be trusted with a young girl ...i hope you will spread this to everyone you meet ,,you dont know ...my sister was also raped in india ,in a place new delhi ...we decieded to come back with pain and never to return again....never do this mistake again of touring india,,,its sex straved demonds are loose...

[Sina, Germany 15 Apr 2008 11:45:33]

To Nickleback, Herefordshire!
How naively you are! Do you still believe in the Santa Claus? You don´t know India, do you? Do you really believe that Scarlett would not have been raped and killed if she had been 18 years old instead of 15 year old? We are not talking about a mother who left her babygirl alone with strangers!!! Scarlett was a grown up girl. Look at the pictures! Her mother wanted to give her trust to her! This is an importan thing to give to you daughter in this age!!! I still thank my mum for giving me this!!!
Goa gives you a feeling of freedom and I always feeled save in Anjuna, but not anymore!!!

[Sina, Germany 15 Apr 2008 11:15:54]

I can not hear this anymore! People are heartless and antiquated! We live in the 2100 century!!! Open your eyes!!! Women are not bad because they grow up there children alone, with out the father/s!!! Or because there children have different fathers!!!
Fiona Mckeown loved Scarlett!!! She is fighting like a lion for justice to her daughter since the day her daughter died and I know she will not stop till justice have been done!
I am a Mother my self, my kids are 18 and 20 years old. I know Anjuna since 10 years, and I also know people who are involved into this case. I WOULD also have trusted them!!!
I always thought Anjuna was a safe place!!! This year we arrived in Anjuna Goa on the 18.02.2008 and now we are back in Germany again. I do not think that I will go to Anjuna again. Rape can happen all over the world! But
normally the police will help the Victims and the Family. In Goa they didn’t!!! Why should I go there again? I can spend my time at better places, where justices are being done to those who needs it and not to the drugdealers!!! How will Goa ever be able to get this "normal tourisms“they are always talking about. The ones with the big money, that is what it is all about MONEY. Even Drug money! It is no problem to have drugs in Goa! If the Police stops you, just pay... and you are out of it! The Police are not able to save the people and a special not the women’s because all that matter to them is money! Go to hell!!!
I wish you, Fiona all the best! You didn’t do anything wrong and that you love your Scarlett you showed us every day in Anjuna!!! I hope you get those Damn pigs who raped and killed your daughter!!!!!
In our hearts Scarlett shall live forever!!! And she shall never be forgotten!!! I also hope that "mother India" will never forget her!!!

Love from a German mother

[Fiona MacKeown from Goa/Devon 26 Mar 2008 12:57:50]

This is Scarlett Keeling's mother Fiona MacKeown. I would just like to say thank you to all the lovely and supportive people who have been good enough to write in with their kind words. I had stopped reading the press because it had all been so negative and personal and nothing to do with my daughter's case. I find the remarks heart-warming and it has restored my faith in humankind that not everyone is so small-minded and judgmental. Thank you all of you.

[Meg Devon 25 Mar 2008 13:30:11]

Alex Crawford. Thank you so much for making people realise how loving and caring fiona really is. Knowing fiona and her family i would like to take a minute to tell all the cruel narrow minded people to realse they should not judge people who they dont have a clue about. Also i would like these people to think about the children who have lost a loving sister the poor parents who have lost a beautiful daughter and the frieds who have lost a star mate.

[Ayse 20 Mar 2008 17:47:08]

Alex,

Thank you for the blog.

Had you not written it, I would not have known half the things that are written.

[Dawn, Devon 17 Mar 2008 21:44:44]

Just wanted to add something that I forgot earlier! People wonder why Fiona was so trusting? Well the area where we live you know that if you forget to lock your doors you'll come home to find the telly still there, unlike the area where I used to live. You just feel safe and everyone is so trustworthy, you forget that not everywhere is like that.

[The Truth, here 16 Mar 2008 23:42:54]

The Truth . . . is that all Britain could be a better place to live if ye all followed Fionas "lifestyle".
The Truth . . . is that this sad, sad ordeal has nothing to do with Fiona or her "mother-hood".
Think Britain ... Think.

[Teresa, Hampshire 16 Mar 2008 13:57:09]

Thank you Alex for a wonderful well written,sensitive and compassionate article. Fiona deserves our sympathy and support, she has lost her beautiful daughter in such appalling circumstances, and yet finds the strength and courage to keep battling on and discover the truth of what really happened to Scarlett. It makes me sick that the media can manipulate and twist facts to suit,-shame on you.Sky,Please keep the spotlight on this story until justice has been done for Scarlett. Fiona my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
I too would like to help out with a donation please let me know how I can do this.
RIP Scarlett.

[Nickleback, Herefordshire 16 Mar 2008 11:41:09]

Hello All
First of all, what utter nonsense that people are posting here about leaving a child(ren) with a nannie or au pair that you barely know. If you can afford the luxury of either of these two, the chances are you will see your family in the evening while you slave at your desk etc, to fund this - never mind a foreign country. You are not going away for weeks on end as this woman was. She is obviously either niave, stupid or selfish - or all 3! I want to know how she can afford to take 6 children for 6 months to Goa, and I do not care how she lived, she will still need necessities and why are they not in education. I feel aggrieved that I, as well as any other UK taxpayer is paying for this jolly. God I wish I could do that.
Anyway, who would honestly leave a girl, coming into her own, surrounded by the temptations that she is curouis about? I am sure alcohol and sex is firmly on the agenda as it would be if she were in the UK. Given that IT WAS NOT the UK, then the holiday atmosphere, as well as the temptations, only increaed the wanting.
I am sorry that a young girls life has been lost and I am sure it could have been prevented with a bit more thought and less selfishness. God bless her and R.I.P.

[Joy -Germany 16 Mar 2008 10:22:47]

'Different doesnt mean worse- it simply means different'
Time we all remembered that saying ' There but by the grace of god ,could walk I'
Show me the 15 yr old who hasnt been exposed to a risk factor and I can show you a child who hasnt yet learnt how to enjoy the best of life.
This is a tragic end to a young life and I for one have felt inspired by her Mothers resolve and commone sense approach to seeing justice done..her grieving and parenting and lifestyle choices are private matters which only need to have assumptions drawn about if your are intending to be actively involved on a personal level...this womans steel actually made me feel proud for once of my English roots..nice to know there are still some who are not narrow minded, judgemental or materialistic -also best article Ive seen over this case yet -well done!

[tracey iow 16 Mar 2008 08:54:40]

I have want to know when we stop being friends with our children and become the parents they so desperately need! - whay has happened that a child of 15 is left in the care of a man her mother only knew at most for 3 months! and nobody seems to question this womans motive-why are we trying to justify this womans lack of care for such a young person however head strong!She has abandoned the 'good life'in devon leaving her animals to fend for themselves for this 'alternate' life journey. when will this woman own up and take responsibilty for the death of her daughter' More importantly why are we defending her?

[K. Fiddler 15 Mar 2008 21:35:24]

Yes, some of these views are based on prejudice - some people are assuming that the mother neglected the child with a hippie,trust-everyone-and-it-will be OK attitude, and that this went horribly wrong. Oh, that's what actually happened.

[Brian, Essex 15 Mar 2008 11:33:26]

How many people are slamming Shannon Matthews' mother for letting a NINE year old walk home from school unsupervised, EVERY day. Strangely not that many...

Its all conveniently forgotten back in Britain. But go on holiday and everybody seems to think its oh so different.

50 years ago you would be considered adult and expected to work at 15, but suddenly we're all children until we're 18.

Whether you consider her mother to be responsible or not the fact remains her daughter was drugged, raped and then drowned. That's the reason she is dead. If Fiona's "neglect" is what killed her daughter then there should be piles of bodies at the roadside from similar parents lack of interest in what their children get up to. For many so called children the parenting seems to be left to the emergency services - whether its dragging them out of the gutter *****, stitching them back together in A&E or separating them when they're fighting like dogs in the street. Now thats bad parenting!

Get a grip all you finger pointers. I just hope none of you ever have to find out one of your children is dead because you worked late, nipped to the shops or let them walk home from school. After all its far more likely to happen at home where you spend 99% of your time!

[Paula UK 15 Mar 2008 00:30:48]

Mothers, whatever their class, will never be able to do what every other perfect human on the planet thinks they should do. We are damned if we do and damned if we don't.

I would very much like to know how the planet got into the disgusting, shameful and sick state that it is currently in.

Instead of belittling Fiona McKeown, why are you people not asking important questions such as WHY are there rapists and murderers? Why are there drug sellers? Why is alcohol being sold to people who are already drunk? Do these people have no moral responsibility? Why has the human race so little respect for life? Why should we keep looking over our shoulders all the time? Is it not the right of every human to live free from fear? WHY can we not do that?
I would like all of you who have made spiteful comments about someone else's lifestyle to put the same amount of energy into changing our world for the better.
Or would that be too much trouble?

[amanda bromley kent 14 Mar 2008 20:56:29]

I am supprised that so many people think they know someone just from what they watch or read. I would like to think that nowdays people are not judged by what they look like or what they wear. Clearly this is not the case. It is fair to have your own opinions, but that's what they are, only your opinions, so keep them to yourselves.
All the best to the family.

[Nicola, Washington. 14 Mar 2008 20:32:50]

If my mum had any idea of the things I got up to when I was 15 ,chances are I'd be 6ft under!! Now however, I'm 36 and a mum of 4 including 2 teenagers. Im not naive of what teens get up to, I only hope I have taught them to know right from wrong and be good people. I am sure Fiona is of the same mind. But regardless of that, why is she persecuted? She didnt drug, rape and murder her daughter. You can argue the high ground moral superiority till the cows come home but ultimately Fiona's daughter is dead and her other children are without a sister. She is fighting for justice for her daughter and facing alot of mud-slinging from 'perfect' parents. Might as well lock me in irons too, I leave my 16 year old alone while I shop!! Even worse I have sent him away this weekend with a bunch of people I dont know. Namely the British Army. Get off Fiona's back and give her the support that was so willingly given to the McCanns who left babies alone.

I hope I never have to find the strength to view my dead childs' body. Not once..but twice! Kudos Fiona!

[Steve, UK 14 Mar 2008 20:05:02]

This mother needs our support not our criticism.
The Goa authorities need to sort themselves out big time, how can anyone go there and feel like they are being properly protected after this?

[Susan Manning 14 Mar 2008 17:50:09]

Wow, thank you for this well written article. How can people be so heartless? It just amazes me! I've lived in India the good part of 20 years with my family. We are from Australia. My 17 year old daughter was raped and murdered 1 month ago. I can't imagine the treatment this woman is getting when her baby has been murdered. We were a little different, intergrating more into the society and it's customs and culture, but still when my child was killed by this psycopath, the attitude was that our child was somehow not a good character and maybe she bought it on herself. I was so distressed by the misinformation that I was unable to eat for 17days. The press were purposely missled about my childs age and the nature of her relationship with this person. They just wanted to sweep the whole thing away and make it appear that it was just an innocent love affair gone wrong. I don't understand how in 2008 and the biggest democracy in the world these type of attitudes are going on?? We have always loved India and my daughter especially. She was sweet and innocent being stalked and terrorise by a psycopath 11 yrs older than her for 4 years. Means since she was 13! We changed her cell ph no twice, we took her out of the country once, her 2 brothers asked the boy to please respect our family and leave her alone on her behest, all to try to solve the problem. We never had the support of the authorities as we had tasted the results of that action several times and been humiliated publicly by local authorities when another boy had molested her so we knew that was a futile path to take .My life is ruined and my heart is broken forever. A light went out in our family and on top of all that, we are extremely disappointed in the attitudes of those we have always loved in the country we have loved and promoted for so long. I sincerely hope this issue helps bring about some possitive change in the attitude of authorities here. Such a beautiful country with such a wonderful culture should be have a world standard of law and order in this day and age as opposed to this thuggery. The boy who killed my daughter was know to be terrorising others with a weapon which was not registered to him but no action was taken, an innocent life was senslessly wasted..... I've been writing these letters. Noone in India media is printing them. I own a vegetarian restaurant in Australia and we have many Indian patrons who we treat with love and respect, and our law protects them. Millions of Indians world wide are being protected by their adopted countries, why can't we also have that here??? Sorry for so much emotion, but that is my life now days, yours sincerely Susan Maning, heart broken mother of Anna Ananda Lila Salter (17/7/1990 to 5/2/2008)

[patricia London 14 Mar 2008 16:31:10]

I am astonished and a little angry that there have been so many people condemning Fiona so vehmently. Only someone who is a mother can go a little way to imagining what this woman must be going through. I am a mother and I cant honestly say that I would have done what she did, I would have been beside my self had this been my daughter, but this woman wanting justice for her daughter and her mother's instinct gave her the courage to go back into the mortuary to take pictures of her dead daughter. Her persistence paid off, there are now two men being investigated for the murder of her daughter.

finally I would like to say this, the media's attitude to this mother is so different from the parents of Madeleine McCann, those are the parents who left their three year old and her siblings alone, alone mind you and went out to eat in a restaurant which was about a mile away!! I do not recall hearing many if any of the media making negative comments about these parents, but of course this may be because Madeleine's parents are middle class doctors. etc. I for one could not comprehend how they could leave children so young on their own but....

[Anne-Marie 14 Mar 2008 15:50:20]

I am disgusted at the tunnel visioned, self-righteous and gratuitously vicious comments left on this story.

I wonder if some people 'need' to reinforce others apparent misdeeds in their own mind.

Thank you Alex Crawford, this article was poignant and level headed. Ms MacKeown, you have many, many intelligent minds willing you their strength to go on. You are a wonderful mother doing nothing different than the rest of us. Much, much strength to you darling.

[Sue Jaymes, Lambourn, Berkshire 14 Mar 2008 13:51:30]

I am staggered by the brutality of some people's attitudes towards this mother. She left her daughter with a well respected Catholic family she had known for 3 mnths. What about families that leave ALL their children with totally strange nannies or aupairs? No one condemns them. Or a Play scheme or similar kids are left with. We are often hearing horror stories about children shaken to death, or day care centers where kids have horrible accidents. Do we ever blame the parents? of course not. Neither should we towards Fiona. She could have just left her daughter behind with noone! It was only for four days a week as the daughter went to her family the other days. So the daughter was sleeping with the guide. How many of YOU know exactly what your children are doing. What about the kids pregnant at 13 yrs or younger. How many of you let your 9 year olds wear that little bit of make up or short skirts way above the knee? I have every sympathy with this mother. she may live a different lifestyle to some of us but all of her children seem well cared for and looked after.

Above all, she is a mother AND a caring loving mother. She grieves no less than anyone else would. She has had to fight the authorities to get the truth about her daughters death. We can all have opinions about whether she should or should not have left her daughter with a God loving family. My heart and love goes out to her and the rest of her family at their loss. The grief must be indescribable. It is times like this I wonder what sort of hearts other people have when they can be so cruel to someone who obviously loves their kids. We were also blinded by journalists who get some sort of perverted pleasure from always painting the black side of things instead of giving the full truth. At least this journalist IS giving the truth .... giving the side the vultures of the press dont want us to hear.

Some of you want to be ashamed of yourselves with your oh so "perfect" parenting.

[Ricky, Hamilton 14 Mar 2008 13:31:49]

The woman made an error of judgement, it cost her a daughter, is that fair?She went to her daughter in the freakin morgue!!Twice!!Can you immagine anything worse?She had the unbelievable compassion or (guilt some of you morons will say) to take photographs of her eldest childs naked body, just to ensure that, even though she may have done wrong leaving her , she will do right by her in death and demand a full explanation of her daughters horrific death,What would you do?Would you have the strenghth to do that?After witnessing what your child had gone through, or immagined when you seen her injuries, you would be appopleptic with rage.Her lifestyle has nothing to do with this.How can she afford this holiday?Who cares.Her daughter is dead, brutally murdered by creatures who are less than animals.I hope they rot in hell, and the poor family will recover some trust in the human race again.

[ram and India 14 Mar 2008 09:20:49]

this is utter rubbish no amount of justification will deny the fact that the mother of murdered minor girl is to be held equally responsible she is certianly not a good mother and her child has gone wayward taking her as example she has set a bad precedent to her children , hope the uk government takes hold of her other children and give them good education and guidance to adulthood.

I feel sorry for the murdered girl she was just a kid indeed those brutal people who did that are not humans , hope her soul rests in peace amen!