The family of the late Danielle McLaughlin say they are marking the eighth anniversary of her murder entering a “new unknown chapter” after her killer’s landmark trial.
Justice was finally won for Danielle last month when the man responsible for her murder was handed two life sentences.
Vikat Bhagat, 31, was found guilty of the rape and murder of Danielle on the 14th of March 2017 in Goa, India, when she was 28 years old.
Danielle’s mother, Andrea Brannigan, and her sisters have said that they will never forgive her killer for what he took from them.
“He made sure we never truly got to say goodbye to Danielle, the Danielle we saw wasn’t Danielle and that we could never even hold her hand. Her younger sisters weren’t even allowed to see her and that was all because of what he put her through, for that we will never understand the lengths he went to to hurt such an innocent and loving soul,” they said today.
Ms Brannigan, Danielle’s sister Joleen McLaughlin Brannigan and Danielle’s best friend Louise McMenamin were in the court in India when the eight-year trial of Vikat Bhagat came to a close.
They travelled to India to come face-to-face with the accused, and to visit areas of Goa that Danielle loved.
Referencing femicide in Ireland, they said: “Since 1996, 275 women have lost their lives violently at the hands of another and shocking 9 out of 10 of these women knew their killer.
“Danielle knew Vikat for over a year, she thought she could trust him and that she was safe in his presence. I think that’s what makes it harder, knowing she considered him her friend and he betrayed that trust so cruelly and made sure we would never see Danielle again.”
They said that Danielle will never be forgotten by all who knew her, including her younger sisters who she referred to as her girls.
“We will never see her big smile or hear another of her travel stories. She will never come home to ‘her girls’. She has missed out on so much these past 8 years. We are so thankful that he will not be able to steal another life.
“We felt Danielle so strongly in India and it felt so nice going to places we always thought would be from Danielle’s stories or seeing the places from her pictures.”
They said that Danielle’s tragic death has had a monumental influence on the community of Goa and the legal system, expressing deep gratitude to the Goan law enforcement and legal teams.
“Danielle changed Goa just like she changed every person she ever met’s life. In Goa, she was the first foreigner to have her murderer arrested the first day and have him convicted,” they said.
Looking to the future after the trial and the poignant trip to India, the family said: “We are numb and unsure really of how to feel since the sentencing as now this new unknown chapter has finally begun.”
