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New Delhi: The mother of a British teenager, who was raped and murdered last month in Goa said on Wednesday she was worried at the possibility of police charging her with neglect for leaving her daughter alone.
Scarlet Keeling, 15, was found dead on a beach in Goa in February, and her mother was away in the southern state of Karnataka then, according to police.
"I am worried at these reports and the police is deflecting the real issue and taking the focus away by saying that I neglected my daughter which is not true," Fiona MacKeown told Reuters from Goa.
"She was not alone and was under the care of a very responsible person. The police is only trying to cover up the case and I don't have any faith in them."
A police officer said charging MacKeown for neglect was a possibility but declined to say anything more.
"There are provisions under Indian laws to charge her with neglect," said Kishan Kumar, a senior police officer handling the case.
"That is a possibility, but we are not saying anything more now".
After Scarlet's death, police said the teenager had drowned after taking drugs, but changed their statement after her mother complained and a second autopsy suggested she had been raped and murdered.
They also arrested a man suspected of raping Keeling. Police officers said they were planning to take x-rays of Scarlet's bones to determine the exact age of the teenager, which her mother said will only delay the case further.
On Tuesday, Goa's Chief Minister, Digambar Kamat also accused MacKeown of neglecting Scarlet, while speaking to reporters.
Under Goa''s child protection laws, neglecting a minor is a serious offence and carries a prison term up to six months and a fine, officials said.
Keeling's case is also the latest to highlight the safety of tourists in India.
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