Simon Harris praises ‘determination and resilience’ of Danielle McLaughlin’s mother

Tánaiste Simon Harris has praised the family of murdered Buncrana woman Danielle McLaughlin after a 31-year-old man was found guilty of her rape and murder in India almost eight years ago.

Mr Harris, who is also Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, paid tribute to Danielle’s family, and in particular, her mother Andrea Brannigan, saying she had shown “determination and resilience in the face of unimaginable tragedy”.

“While nothing can ease the pain of their loss, I hope that this verdict represents some closure for the family,” he said.
“My thoughts will remain with them as they continue to grieve the loss of their beloved daughter and sister. May Danielle rest in peace.”

Vikat Bhagat was found guilty at the District and Sessions Court in Goa on Friday. Ms McLaughlin, 28, from Buncrana, was backpacking in India when her body was discovered in a field in Canacona, a popular tourist area of Goa, on the morning of March 14, 2017.

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Bhagat, a local man, had pleaded not guilty to all charges, which included violent robbery and destruction of evidence. His trial had been ongoing for 2017 but was beset by delays and legal challenges.

Ms McLaughlin's mother Andrea Brannigan and her sister Jolene travelled to India this week for the hearing.
In a statement issued by family solicitor Desmond Doherty, the family said: “There was no other suspect or gang involved in

Danielle’s death and (Vikat) 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 in Buncrana, County Donegal.

“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.

“We are content now with the judicial confirmation in public of what we already sadly knew. What further legal processes now take place we will observe.

“We are grateful to the court for allowing us, as is our right under the Indian legal system, representation at the trial.

“We wish to thank our lawyer in Goa, Mr Vikram Varma for attending to all that for us.

“We are also grateful to our lawyer back home, Desmond Doherty, who worked closely with Vikram in explaining to us the trial process and events at the trial.

“Without this joint legal representation we had, we would have been lost in the process. This was an eight-year murder trial that has been very tiring. We are glad it is over.”