‘A long road that's never ended’ – Family of Danielle McLaughlin murdered in India hopeful trial will conclude this year

Danielle’s body was discovered by a farmer on March 14, 2017, after it was dumped on remote farmland in Canacona, South Goa, India.

The Donegal native, who was attending the Holi festival, known as the Hindu festival of colours had been attacked with a bottle, raped and strangled.

"Danielle, she was just this amazing person. She was just so bright, she shone,” her sister Joleen said on RTÉ’s Prime Time tonight.

She told how no matter where Danielle was, she would keep in touch with family, sending back videos of her travels.

She had just turned 28 before being killed, after returning to India, having previously volunteered in an orphanage in Calcutta. Her intention was to teach yoga, while backpacking in the south Asian country.

However her plans were cut short. Hours after her body was found, Goan local Vikat Bhagat, who Danielle was acquainted with from a previous trip to the popular party island, was arrested.

He was subsequently charged with her murder, however, due to flaws in the Indian justice system, his trial is yet to conclude, seven years later.

Speaking on Prime Time, her bereaved mother Andrea said her daughter, who graduated with a degree in Psychology and Criminology in Liverpool, wanted to travel the world and volunteer to “help those in need.”

“I remember when they crossed the border out of India, the Kevin Bell Trust, they contacted me and said, Andrea, she's no longer in India, she’s coming home. I never was as happy to know my daughter’s coming home,” she said of her daughter’s repatriation.

Daniele’s sister Joleen said there were no other cases of murder in Goa that the family could compare it to and so after Mr Bhagat was arrested they thought there shouldn’t be “such a big holdup.”

"And then all of a sudden years passed and it just felt like such a long road that’s never ended,” Joleen said.

The trial has continued to trickle on for more than seven years or 2,500 days. The family had reached out to a lawyer who was dealing with another murder in Goa and are still paying him to this day.

During this period, both Irish and British diplomats in India have raised Danielle’s case locally, as Danielle was born in Glasgow and has dual Irish and British citizenship and passports.

Her mother recalled how a spokesperson for the Taoiseach's department mistakenly told the family Danielle wasn’t an Irish citizen, 18 months after she was killed.

Despite Leo Varadkar himself apologising in person days later, Andrea said it was “really hurtful at the time” adding that “it felt like they were also saying that Danielle wasn’t important”.

Danielle’s trial is still progressing, with her mother Andrea telling Prime Time that it is now being heard sometimes “eight times per month.”

"So that is why I am hopeful that it could be ending this year,” she added.

Last week was the 254th hearing of the case, with the accused not appearing in court as he was taken from jail to hospital for treatment.

The next hearing is this Thursday on the seventh anniversary of the day Danielle’s body was discovered.

Danielle’s family are hoping to travel to India for the first time this year, after a higher court in India directed that the trial conclude this year.

“It's just so draining that we just want it over and done with. We don't really know what's gonna happen.

“They say it should end this year, but we don't really know and we don't wanna have that hope that it will end because we have been let down so many times in the past by everyone,”

“We have to do everything ourselves. The next family, like, we hope that they'll never have to go through what we did. It's just such a hard process.” her sister Joleen told Prime Time.

During the programme, the Department of Foreign Affairs told Prime Time that Mr Varadkar met the McLaughlin family in 2018.

The Department outlined how Irish officials in India, New Delhi, Mumbai and back home are “actively engaged” on this case and remain in “regular contact” with the family.

“On numerous occasions, officials have made clear to the appropriate authorities our interest in this case and our wish to see a timely and just conclusion.”