The Hindu : National : ‘No mystery’ about missing body organs of Scarlette

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‘No mystery’ about missing body organs of Scarlette

Special Correspondent

PANAJI: The Goa government asserted on Tuesday that the doctors at the State-owned Goa Medical College and hospital strictly adhered to the standard procedure while conducting both the autopsies on the British teenager Scarlett Keeling.

The government also clarified that “there was no mystery about missing body organs.”

At a specially convened press conference, Chief Secretary J. P. Singh lashed out at some sections of the national media for sensationalising and blowing out of proportion wrong and baseless news, in the aftermath of the third autopsy in Britain, that some vital parts were missing.

“It implied that this was done deliberately and that it was part of a cover up by the Goa police and the government,” he said.

Explaining the procedure followed by the doctors on both the occasions, Mr. Singh said the process was documented.

During the first autopsy, full stomach, half of the spleen and half of the kidneys were removed. During the second autopsy, conducted on March 8, the remaining half of each of the kidneys and the remaining spleen were removed. The uterus too was removed to confirm sexual assault. This was preserved for histo-pathological analysis.

“Media reports about missing parts have given the impression that this was a cover up, which is completely incorrect and misleading.” Mr. Singh said.

The government was responsive to the sentiments of the aggrieved mother Fiona Mackeown and was waiting for the Central Bureau of Investigations to take over the case.

Mr. Singh sought to emphasise that Goa continues to be a safe place for tourists. Everything was being done by the government to enhance security and ensure safety of tourists.

Was Ms. Mackeown deliberately trying to malign Goa’s image? “She is distraught after the death of her child and she has every right to seek full justice,” Mr. Singh said.

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