Two men cleared over Scarlett Keeling Goa death

Image copyright Family photograph

Image caption Scarlett was on a six-month "trip of a lifetime" with her family when she died

Two men have been cleared of all charges over the death of 15-year-old Scarlett Keeling on a Goan beach in 2008.

Placido Carvalho, 48, and Samson D'Souza, 37, faced charges of culpable homicide and grievous sexual assault at Goa Children's Court.

The teenager, from Bideford in Devon, was on a six-month "trip of a lifetime" to India with her family when she died.

Her mother Fiona MacKeown said she was "devastated" about the verdict.

For live updates on this story click here

Image copyright Family photograph

Image caption Scarlett's half-naked and bruised body was found a beach in February 2008

"I am reeling," she told reporters outside the court. "It's been eight years of agony. I feel devastated and will definitely be challenging the verdict.

"We had been waiting all this time and it's just rubbish. India's whole judicial system has totally let me down."

Image copyright AFP/Getty Images

Image caption Fiona MacKeown has fought for eight years to bring her daughter's killers to justice

Scarlett's bruised and partially clothed body was found on Anjuna beach just after dawn on 18 February 2008.

She had been at a Valentine's Day beach party while the rest of her family had gone travelling.

The police in Goa initially concluded the teenager died accidentally but, after a campaign by her family, a second post-mortem examination in March 2008 revealed she had been drugged and raped before drowning in seawater.

She suffered 50 separate injuries in the attack, the court was told previously.

At the scene: BBC Correspondent Justin Rowlatt

It took a matter of seconds for the president of Goa's Children's Court to give her verdict. There was a moment of silence as the packed courtroom took on board what she had said. Scarlett Keeling's mother, Fiona MacKeown, was visibly shocked. She said she was "devastated" by the verdict. "Eight years I've waited, and now this", she said. Samson D'Souza, one of the two accused, smiled as he left the court. He told the BBC he had always been confident that he would be acquitted. "There was no evidence against me", he said. Fiona MacKeown and her lawyer are now meeting to discuss whether to appeal the judgement.

Image copyright Family photograph

Image caption Scarlett had gone to a beach party without her family on the night before her death

The case was taken up by India's Central Bureau of Investigation and Mr D'Souza and Mr Carvalho were arrested in March 2008.

They were charged with culpable homicide, grievous sexual assault, destroying evidence, assault with criminal force with intent to outrage a woman's modesty and administering drugs with intent to harm. They denied the charges.

The prosecution alleged that Mr Carvalho and Mr D'Souza, who was working at a beach-side shack near where Scarlett's body was found, had plied her with drugs then attacked her.

But defence lawyer Marvin D'Souza said the investigation had been influenced by diplomatic pressure and trial by media.