Mother of murdered Donegal woman may meet suspected killer

THE heartbroken Co Donegal mother of Danielle McLaughlin has said she will “never, ever get over” her daughter’s murder and may travel to India to confront the suspected killer.

Danielle (28) was killed while visiting India to learn to be a yoga teacher. She was found dead on March 14, 2017, and a local man, Vikat Bhagat, with whom she had been friends since 2016, is to stand trial accused of her rape and murder.

Danielle’s mum, Andrea, said that it seems “like yesterday” since she last spoke to Danielle.

“I spoke to her that day. I spoke to her every day on the phone, if I didn’t speak to her on the phone she messaged me. Because I worry, she’d send me a quick message to say ‘I’m OK’. On

Murdered: Danielle McLaughlin

the 13th she messaged me and I was on the way to Dublin for a hospital appointment with her wee sister and she Facebooked me and said she was with her friend and with him, the accused, and she was safe,” she said.

“She classified him as a friend, she called him brother.”

Danielle was well-travelled and had spent time in Nepal, Goa and Australia. She had planned to train in Goa as a yoga teacher and then travel to Canada in the September. It was her second time in India. A year earlier she had volunteered in an orphanage there.

Andrea was also shocked to learn that the Department of Foreign Affairs can act only in an advisory capacity when a family lose a loved one abroad. There is no fund to cover repatriation costs, legal bills or any associated costs.

She may travel to India for the final part of the trial and also reserves the right to meet on a oneone-one basis with the accused.

“If someone asked me to describe her I couldn’t explain it because she was just amazing,” Andrea said.

“She was an amazing daughter, an amazing sister and an amazing friend.” The International Women’s Day march in Belfast makes its way through the streets to the City Hall on Saturday, and (bottom left) Lord Mayor Nuala McAllister joins participants at the well-attended event