The statement of Fiona Mackeown, mother of slain British teenager Scarlett Eden Keeling whose murder trial began here in India's coastal state Goa on Monday, is important and if required the court would arrange for her testimony through video conferencing, public prosecutor S R Rivonkar said.
"Fiona would be summoned for trial to depose before the court. If she can't come, we can even arrange for video conferencing to take her
statement," Rivonkar told PTI after the completion of the first day of trial.
Though the court is yet to issue summons to Fiona, "she is a crucial witness" in the case, he said. Fiona is currently in the UK and has not
visited the country since the case was handed over to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
"She is very important to us. We will try to get her physical presence in the court," he added.
Constable Gurunath Naik today deposed before Goa Children's Court President B P Deshpande. He was the first policeman to reach the scene on
February 18, 2008, a few hours after Scarlett's death.
Rivonkar said two more witnesses - Ruby Caso, a Spanish girl and Mike Mannion, a British man, would also be summoned during the trial.
While Caso was club hopping with Scarlett before she reached the Lui cafe, a beach at Anjuna, Mannion is a British witness who claimed to have
seen the accused abusing the deceased.
The public prosecutor said there was still time before these witnesses could be called in the court.
Goa Children's Court will hear the case thrice a week and is expected to give its verdict by year end.
Scarlett was allegedly raped and left to die on Anjuna beach on February 17, 2008.