Scarlett Keeling murder case: Accused hail verdict

Panaji (Goa) [India], Sept. 23 (ANI): The accused in the 2008 Scarlett Keeling murder case on Friday said they were happy that justice ultimately prevailed. Hailing the Goa Children's Court verdict that acquitted them of all the charges in the 15-year-old Briton's murder case, one of the accused Placido Carvalho said, "I am very happy that I am acquitted and all the charges are false." Expressing his happiness over the verdict, another accused Samson Dsouza said, "I am happy that justice prevailed." Reacting to judgment, Carvalho's lawyer Pravin Naik said, "I am very happy with the judgment. There is a delay in justice, but it is not denied. Due to pressure of mother, further investigation was done and then it was found that there was a foul play." Dsouza's lawyer, however, said "Ultimately, justice has prevailed. He has undergone rigours trial. It's a good feeling. Finally, both the accused acquitted; and, it is a good feeling that the judgment was passed in our favour. We are happy about it. At the moment the allegations are proved false, whether they are fake or correct let's not go into it." As the Goa Children's Court on Friday acquitted both the accused in the 2008 Scarlett Keeling murder case, her mother Fiona Mackeown said she was shocked by the verdict as she was hoping for a "guilty verdict". "I was hoping for a guilty verdict, I didn't have this expectation and I am still shocked," Mackeown told reporters outside the court. Vikram Verma, the victim's lawyer, however, said, "They stand acquitted of all the charges and the judgment was not ready, it is being still typed that's what the judge has informed. We will have to look into ingredients of the judgment." The Briton was raped and murdered on Anjuna beach in Goa in 2008 in which two beach shack workers D'souza and Carvalho had been accused of sexually assaulting her after giving her a cocktail of drugs and leaving her unconscious in the shallow waters. Her body was found in the early hours of February 19, 2008. (ANI)