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Journalism of Courage
Scarlett Eden Keeling’s personal diary, which is in possession of the investigating authorities, had little help in cracking the case though it gave “a sketch picture of her life”, police said on Sunday.
The Goa Police, who have booked two persons for drugging, raping and murdering Scarlett, feel that the diary gave them only insight into the life of Scarlett. “The diary has nothing to do with the murder. It gives a sketch picture of her life,” an investigating officer said.
The diary talks of her first encounter with a Goan boyfriend for the full moon party, the location of which is not mentioned and also her desperation after she missed her boyfriend back home in the UK. The British teenager was drugged, raped and murdered on Goa’s popular Anjuna beach on February 18.
Scarlett, in her diary, has admitted of having fun of her life during her short stay here where she had befriended Goan boy Julio Lobo.
The noting in the diary reveals that Scarlett was feeling ‘stuck’ in India two months after her stay here. “At the full moon party I met this guy, Julio. I was pretty messed up, like I had taken a pill and drunk a lot of Vodka,” the diary reads.
Interestingly, besides Julio, Scarlett has not mentioned name of any other Goan friend in the diary, not even of the two accused. “There are no drug connections or anything related to it. The diary speaks about her life and her innermost feelings,” the police said. According to north Goa Superintendent of Police Bosco George, the diary was handed over to the police by her mother at the Anjuna police station.
Julio, who works in Finland with an insurance firm, had apparently promised Scarlett to take her away and give employment there. “I’m supposed to be going to Finland for six months and working there and then coming back to Goa,” the diary noting says.
Scarlett, who had best time of her life with Julio and enjoying around in Goa, mentions about the sunburn festival held in Goa, which she reportedly attended and enjoyed. The diary talks of the Dolphin watching and elephant ride she had in Goa.
While Scarlett’s life in Goa seemed to be full of joy, the pictures drawn by her in the diary reveals the sad face of her life. “I mean if he really loves me he’ll think more about I dunno but I shall love Jardi and I still would prefer to be in Jardi’s company. But I’m stuk (stuck),” Scarlett writes being skeptical about her Goan boyfriend. Some of the last pages of the diary, which is like a school book, portrays a picture of a confused girl. “I really really really don’t know what to do. I wish something big would happen to make my decision final,” she had written about her love life.
The police said Scarlett had shifted to Julio’s place at Siolim, a village next to Anjuna beach, three weeks before her murder.
