The mother of an Irish woman who was raped and murdered while backpacking in India has said her daughter’s killer “stole her” from family and friends, taking away the life she was meant to live.
Danielle McLaughlin, 28, from County Donegal, was found dead in a field in Goa, India, in March 2017. A post-mortem examination determined that she died from brain damage and strangulation.
On Friday, Vikat Bhagat was found guilty of her murder by the District and Sessions Court in South Goa. While he could face life imprisonment, prosecutors have called for the death penalty. His defense team has appealed for leniency. He is set to be sentenced next Monday.
Reacting to the verdict, Danielle’s mother, Andrea Brannigan, told BBC News NI she was “glad and relieved it is over.”
“I am relieved that the person who killed my daughter has been convicted today,” she said. “I lost my eldest daughter. She was stolen from us, from her sisters, from her friends. She was also robbed of the opportunity to become a mother herself. So much was taken from her and from us.”
Ms. Brannigan traveled to India for the trial and described the experience of seeing her daughter’s murderer in court as deeply difficult. “He wouldn’t look at us,” she recalled.
While in India, the family visited the field where Danielle’s body was discovered. “It was overwhelming and incredibly hard, but I’m glad I went,” she said.
Ms. Brannigan spoke of how her daughter is always in her thoughts and will be remembered for her “spirit, kindness, and infectious laugh.”
In India, victims of rape are typically not identified publicly to protect them from social stigma. However, Danielle’s family has chosen to share her story to raise awareness of her case.
After the verdict, Danielle’s sister, Joleen McLaughlin Brannigan, read a family statement, describing Danielle as someone who “lived every day to the fullest.”
“We have lost nearly eight years of our lives fighting for Danielle,” she said. “We are so thankful that we can now start grieving her immeasurable loss. She was kind, always happy, and she didn’t deserve what he put her through. We are grateful to be here for the verdict and to see the Goa that Danielle loved so much.”
Danielle, who grew up in Buncrana, traveled to India in February 2017. She had been in the country for just two weeks before she was murdered.
A student at Liverpool John Moores University, she had been staying in a beach hut with an Australian friend. The pair had been celebrating Holi, a Hindu festival, in a nearby village. Danielle left the village that night, and the next day, a local farmer found her body in an isolated area.
Buncrana and Fahan parish priest, Fr. Francis Bradley, who knew Danielle, described her as “bubbly, effervescent, and an intrepid adventurer.” He acknowledged the family’s “unimaginable ordeal” and expressed gratitude that they finally received justice.
On Friday morning, Ireland’s Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) Simon Harris praised Danielle’s family, especially her mother, for her “determination and resilience in the face of unimaginable tragedy.”
“While nothing can ease their pain, I hope this verdict brings them some closure,” he said. “May Danielle rest in peace.”
Danielle, who held dual Irish and British citizenship, traveled to India using her British passport. In 2018, then-Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar met with her family to apologize for a misunderstanding about her citizenship status.
Her body was brought home to Donegal with the assistance of the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust, and she was laid to rest in her hometown of Buncrana.
Her family and friends continue to honor her memory, cherishing the joyful, adventurous spirit that defined her life.
