Danielle McLaughlin, from County Donegal in Ireland, was found brutally murdered in the Indian region of Goa in 2017 – her family have said justice has ‘finally been achieved’ after her killer was found guilty
A man has been found guilty of the rape and murder of an Irish backpacker in India eight years ago.
The body of 28-year-old Danielle McLaughlin, from Buncrana, County Donegal, was found in a field in Canacona, in Goa, in March 2017. She visited the popular tourist area with an Australian friend and had been staying in a beach hut before the brutal attack.
The pair had been celebrating the Holi Hindu festival at a nearby village. Today Vikat Bhagat, who was 24 at the time, was found guilty of raping and murdering her. He was known to Danielle, who had volunteered at an orphanage, and will be sentenced on Monday. Following the verdict, Danielle’s mum and sister said justice had “finally been achieved”.
Bhagat was apprehended hours after Danielle’s body was found. Her body was returned to Ireland and a post-mortem found strangulation and brain damage to be the cause of her death.
Andrea Brannigan, her mother, and sister Joleen McLaughlin said in a statement shared by family solicitor Desmond Doherty: “There was no other suspect or gang involved in Danielle’s death and Bhagat was solely responsible for cruelly ending her beautiful life.
“We have endured what has been effectively an eight-year murder trial with many delays and problems, right until the end, all taking place thousands of miles away from Danielle’s home.” The family added the trail had been exhausting and were happy it had finally come to an end.
Family representatives said the case was brought to court more than 250 times, with hearing lasting just 30 minutes in some cases, the Guardian reported. Ireland’s foreign minister Simon Harris praised the family and Brannigan’s “determination and resilience in the face of unimaginable tragedy”.
The family thanked lawyers in Ireland and India and added the pursuit for justice had been “no easy matter”. They continued: “We now hope not only that Danielle can rest in peace, but that we as a family can have some peace and comfort knowing that the person who brutally raped and murdered our precious Danielle has been convicted.” Mr Harris added: “While nothing can ease the pain of their loss, I hope that this verdict represents some closure for the family. My thoughts will remain with them as they continue to grieve the loss of their beloved daughter and sister.”
