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I won't bury Scarlette's body without organs: Mother
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May 03, 2008 19:54 IST

Fiona Mackeown, mother of slain British teenager, has said she would not bury Scarlette's body without the vital organs, which are with the Goan authorities.

"I will wait till I get them (the organs). Without organs I am not going to bury the body," Fiona told PTI.

Scarlette's body is currently with the UK authorities, who are conducting the inquest autopsy on it. According to Fiona, the autopsy will take a few more days as it is a detailed one.

"I will not bury the incomplete body. I want the organs back," Fiona said.

The 43-year-old mother is in Goa [Images] to follow up the case regarding the missing organs, which were removed during two autopsies conducted in the Goa medical college and hospital in Panaji.

Scarlette had died on Goa's popular Anjuna beach on February 1. Investigations had revealed that she was drugged, raped and left to die in the shallow waters.

Two autopsies were conducted on the body in India while the inquest-autopsy being performed by the coroner's office in England [Images] had found that several body parts were missing.

According to her mother, stomach, both the kidneys, the uterus, the spleen and the pancreas were extracted from the body and not handed over to the UK authorities.

"These organs have been removed from my daughter's body without my consent," Fiona said raising the human rights violation issue.

Fiona said Goan authorities were busy passing the bucks.

"I am shunted from office to office. I have not been able to get the satisfactory reply," she said.

Fiona has met Chief Secretary J P Singh, Goa Medical College and Hospital Dean Dr V N Jindal and forensic department officials, in vain.

While Chief Secretary, during the meeting on Wednesday, directed her to the Dean, he, on the other hand, asked the Forensic Department to do the needful.

However, the Forensic Department Chief Dr E J Rodrigues, refused 'to hand over the organs to her asking to get the police clearance'.

Fiona also met Inspector General of Police Kishan Kumar, who expressed inability to hand over the vital organs.

"We are waiting for the case to be taken over by CBI so we can't do anything now," Kumar said.

Sceptical about the procedure adopted during the autopsies here, Fiona has questioned the removal of organs for tests.

"I do understand that for medico forensic requirements, a certain amount of tissue from various organs is required. However, to my mind the removal of the entire organs from the body of my daughter is an action far in excess of the needs of the forensic scientist," she said.

Fiona, in a letter to Goa Chief Secretary earlier this week, has asked, "Please inform me under what provisions of Indian laws entire organs were removed from my daughter's body."

Fiona will be returning to the UK on Sunday but has said that she will be back after few weeks to follow up the case.


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