Vivek Mishra works as an Assistant Editor with Eastern Eye and has over 13 years of experience in journalism. His areas of interest include politics, international affairs, current events, and sports. With a background in newsroom operations and editorial planning, he has reported and edited stories on major national and global developments.
A COURT in India has found Vikat Bhagat guilty of the rape and murder of Irish backpacker Danielle McLaughlin.
McLaughlin, 28, from County Donegal, was found dead in a field in Goa in March 2017.
A post-mortem examination confirmed brain damage and strangulation as the cause of death. The verdict was delivered by the District and Sessions Court in South Goa on Friday, the BBC reported.
Bhagat could face life imprisonment, but prosecutors have requested the death penalty. His sentencing is scheduled for Monday.
McLaughlin’s mother, Andrea Brannigan, and sister, Joleen McLaughlin Brannigan, said justice "has finally been achieved."
They stated that Bhagat was solely responsible for her death, adding that they had endured an eight-year trial with delays and difficulties.
The family said they remained patient and respectful of the Indian legal system and expressed hope that McLaughlin can now rest in peace. They recently visited the area where she spent her last days, the BBC reported.
McLaughlin, who held dual Irish and British citizenship, travelled to India in February 2017 and 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. Her body was discovered the next day by a local farmer.
Tánaiste Simon Harris praised McLaughlin’s family for their resilience, saying he hoped the verdict would bring them some closure.
Her body was repatriated to Donegal with the help of the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust. She is buried in Buncrana, her hometown.
Starmer says the grooming gang inquiry will not be “watered down”
The prime minister confirmed Dame Louise Casey will work with the inquiry
Four survivors have quit the panel, raising concerns over its remit
The inquiry is still finalising its terms and chair
PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer has said the national grooming gang inquiry will not be “watered down” and will examine racial and religious motives, after a fourth survivor quit the panel.
He was questioned at Prime Minister’s Questions by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who said survivors feared the inquiry was being diluted and their voices silenced.
Quoting survivors, Badenoch said they believed it would “downplay the racial and religious motivations behind their abuse” and asked: “Aren’t the victims right when they call it a cover-up?”
Starmer said survivors had been ignored for many years and that “injustice will have no place to hide.”
He confirmed Dame Louise Casey, whose report recommended a statutory inquiry, would now be working with it. He invited those who had quit to rejoin, adding: “We owe it to them to answer their concerns.”
Jess, not her real name, became the fourth survivor to step down, joining Fiona Goddard, Ellie Reynolds and Elizabeth. Her lawyer Amy Clowrey confirmed her resignation.
Another survivor, Samantha Walker-Roberts, told the BBC she would stay on the panel and wanted the inquiry’s remit widened beyond grooming.
The inquiry, announced in June, is still finalising its terms and chair.
One potential chair, Annie Hudson, withdrew earlier this week over conflict of interest concerns linked to her social work background, while another nominee, former police chief and child abuse expert Jim Gamble, met survivors on Tuesday.
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