Indian court sentences man to life for rape, murder of Irish woman

A COURT in India’s Goa state has sentenced a 31-year-old man to life in prison for the rape and murder of an Irish woman in 2017. The verdict was delivered on Monday, nearly eight years after the crime.

The body of 28-year-old Danielle McLaughlin was found in March 2017 on a beach popular with tourists. An autopsy confirmed that cerebral damage and constriction of the neck caused her death.

Vikat Bhagat was found guilty of the crime on Friday. McLaughlin’s family said in a statement that they and her friends were “thankful to the public prosecutor and the investigating officer for justice.”

Under Indian law, the identities of rape victims are usually not disclosed. However, McLaughlin’s family had spoken to the media to raise awareness about her case.

Goa, a popular tourist destination, attracts millions of visitors each year. The crime highlighted ongoing concerns about violence against women in India despite stricter laws introduced after the 2012 gang rape and murder of a woman on a Delhi bus.

"Today the court has given the final verdict, life imprisonment to the accused," investigating officer Filomeno Costa told ANI news agency.

McLaughlin’s lawyer, Vikas Varma, said her body was found in a forested area near Palolem Beach with multiple injuries, including some on her face.

"Nothing can compensate the loss of a child, but the sentence has diluted the grief of the family," Varma told Reuters. "It was a long battle of nearly eight years but justice has been done."

Forensic reports confirmed McLaughlin was raped, and her face was smashed with a beer bottle, apparently to hinder identification, Varma said.

Bhagat's lawyers had asked the court for leniency in sentencing, according to media reports.

India introduced stricter rape laws and fast-track courts after the 2012 Delhi gang rape case, but challenges remain.

A Reuters investigation last year showed that India had reduced its target for such courts to 790 by 2026, down from the previously planned 2,600.

Last month, a court sentenced a police volunteer to life in prison for the rape and murder of a junior doctor at a hospital in Kolkata.

McLaughlin, who held both Irish and British citizenship, had arrived in India in February 2017. She had been in the country for two weeks before her death.

She had been staying in a beach hut with an Australian friend and had attended Holi celebrations in a nearby village. A local farmer discovered her body the next day.

Her body was repatriated to Donegal with assistance from the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust. She is buried in Buncrana, her hometown.

(With inputs from agencies)