Overview

• Danielle McLaughlin, a 28-year-old backpacker from Donegal, Ireland, was raped and murdered in Goa, India, in March 2017.
• The perpetrator, Vikat Bhagat, was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder and rape, along with a concurrent three-year sentence for destroying evidence.
• McLaughlin's family, who actively participated in the lengthy trial, expressed relief and gratitude for the verdict, which they said brings some closure.
• The case highlighted ongoing issues of violence against women in India, despite stricter laws introduced after the 2012 Delhi bus gang-rape case.
• McLaughlin’s family chose to speak publicly about her case to raise awareness, breaking with the norm of anonymity for rape victims in India.