Sexual assault charges dropped against Scarlett Keeling boyfriend
The 15-year-old girl had been staying with Julio Lobo, 27, before her death in February this year.
Her diary entries mentioning sex with Mr Lobo led to him being charged with having unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.
But the Goa Children’s Court dropped the charge at a hearing, saying in a ruling that the diary was not admissible evidence.
Scarlett’s mother Fiona MacKeown, who pressed Goa police into opening a murder inquiry after they dismissed her daughter’s death as accidental, has said she knew her daughter was staying with Mr Lobo while she was elsewhere in south India.
A spokesman for Scarlett’s mother said: “Fiona believes that Julio should never have been charged for anything in the first place.
“She feels that he did as much as he could under the circumstances to look after Scarlett.
“She is obviously relieved and welcomes the fact that the statutory rape has been dropped and she wasn’t even aware of the other charge.
“As with everything surrounding the case, she believes that much of this is a smokescreen to cover up the real circumstances surrounding Scarlett’s death.”
The teenager’s diary detailed graphic and candid personal reflections on her time in Goa, including references to drug abuse and sexual encounters.
Mr Lobo still faces a charge of having unlawful custody of a minor. If convicted he could be jailed for a year and receive a fine.
Goan law states that the authorities must be informed in writing if a child who is not a blood relative is staying with an adult.
Two local men are awaiting trial charged in connection with Scarlett’s death. They are accused of drugging and raping her, and then leaving her for dead.
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