Man convicted of rape and murder of Irish women in India is sentenced to life imprisonment

A court at West Goa State University in India sentenced a 31-year-old man to jail for raping and murdering an Irish woman at a popular tourist attraction eight years ago.

The BBC reported that the body of 28-year-old Danielle McLaughlin was found on a popular beach in Goa tourists in March 2017. An autopsy showed that brain damage and neck contractions led to her death.

Vikat Bhagat was found guilty of crime on Friday. McLaughlin's family said in a statement that they and her friends “thank you for the justice of the prosecutor and investigator.”

generally, Rape victim Cannot be named according to Indian law. In this case, the victim’s family spoke with the media to raise awareness of her case.

Crime emphasizes lasting Violence against women In India, despite stricter laws against the sexual assault imposed by a young woman on a bus in New Delhi.

Danielle's mother Andrea Brannigan and her sister Joleen McLaughlin after Baggett was found guilty Justice “finally come true”, Brannigan said.

“No other suspects or gangs were involved in Danielle's death, and Bargat was totally responsible for ending her beautiful life cruelly,” they said.

The family made another statement on behalf of the family, which read “The Truth of Danielle McLaughlin” The Facebook page said that her “the truth has finally been heard.”

“We lost our lives for nearly 8 years of fighting for Danielle, and we are so grateful that we can start to grieve now. She is more important than her daughter, sister and best friend. The statement said, touch all to meet her people's lives.

Goa is a popular backpacking destination in India. Millions of tourists visit their numerous beach resorts each year.

However, its reputation as a tropical paradise has been undermined by high-profile crimes involving foreigners. In 2008, 15-year-old British student Scarlett Keeling was drugged, raped and murdered in Goa to make global headlines.

McLaughlin, a student at Liverpool John Moores, lived in a beach hut with Australian friends before her death, according to the BBC. The two have been celebrating Holi in a nearby village, a Hindu festival. She left the village at night and found her body the next day.

Many cases of crimes against women have not been reported in India due to the stigma surrounding sexual violence, as well as confidence in the police. The radicals say the new sentencing requirement has not stopped rape and the number of recorded rape cases has increased. In 2022, police recorded 31,516 reports of rapes – a 20% increase from 2021, according to the National Crime Records Agency.