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British-Irish woman, 28, found dead near beach in Indian state of Goa Tributes paid to British backpacker found dead in Indian tourist resort
(about 3 hours later)
A murder investigation has been launched after the body of a dual British-Irish citizen was found near a beach in Goa, India. The mother of a British backpacker who was found dead in an Indian tourist resort has paid tribute to her “beautiful and kind-hearted” daughter.
The 28-year-old woman, named by Indian police as Danielle McLaughlin, was found bruised and naked in a field in Canacona, in the southern part of the state. McLaughlin is thought to have been visiting Goa with a friend to celebrate the Holi festival. A murder investigation has been launched after Danielle McLaughlin, 28, was found bruised and naked in a field in Canacona, in the southern part of Goa. McLaughlin, a dual British-Irish citizen, was thought to have been visiting the area with a friend to celebrate the Holi festival.
“The body was lying in a pool of blood without clothes and there were injuries on the head and face,” Sammy Tavares, the deputy superintendent of Canacona police, told local media. Her mother, Andrea Brannigan, said: “The family would like to express our thanks to all who have got in touch since receiving this awful news.
Filomeno Costa, the officer in charge at Canacona police station, said a middle-aged man had been arrested in connection with the woman’s death. Her body is undergoing a postmortem in the state capital, Panjim, to determine if she was sexually assaulted. “As you can expect, we are finding it very difficult at this trying time. Danielle will be sadly missed by us all.”
He told local reporters: “A local named Prashant Komarpant alerted us after he noticed the body while he was on his way to the fields around 7am on Tuesday morning. We sent her body to Goa medical college for autopsy and are awaiting reports to ascertain if she was sexually assaulted. McLaughlin’s body was found “lying in a pool of blood without clothes and there were injuries on the head and face”, Sammy Tavares, the deputy superintendent of Canacona police, told local media.
“We are also speaking with the hotels where she had stayed to find out if she was with her friends or holidaying alone.” A man named Vikas Bhagat had been arrested in connection with McLaughlin’s death. Her body is undergoing a postmortem in the state capital, Panjim, to determine if she was sexually assaulted.
It was said that Bhagat was a “history-sheeter” – an Indian police term for a criminal with a long record of serious crime.
Tavares told the Goacom website: “We have arrested Bhagat. He has confessed to raping the victim and later killing her in order to hide his identity.”
Detectives said they had questioned up to 15 people over the murder of McLaughlin, who is understood to have been travelling under a British passport.
McLaughlin, originally from Buncrana in County Donegal and thought to have been living in England, had just arrived from the north of the state and had been at a party on Monday night at the popular Palolem beach.McLaughlin, originally from Buncrana in County Donegal and thought to have been living in England, had just arrived from the north of the state and had been at a party on Monday night at the popular Palolem beach.
Detectives are studying CCTV footage from the beachside shacks she visited, working with sniffer dogs and forensic teams. While police found her clothes, they have yet to locate a murder weapon.Detectives are studying CCTV footage from the beachside shacks she visited, working with sniffer dogs and forensic teams. While police found her clothes, they have yet to locate a murder weapon.
Her body was discovered by a farmer near Deobag Beach on Tuesday morning about 3.5 miles (6km) from Palolem. She had suffered extensive injuries to her face. McLaughlin’s body was discovered by a farmer, Prashant Komarpant, near Deobag beach on Tuesday morning, about 3.5 miles (6km) from Palolem. She had suffered extensive injuries to her face.
Divyam Sugeet, a business owner in the area, said: “I was at the crime scene, it was really horrible,” he said. “The whole community is shaken up.” Divyam Sugeet, a business owner in the area, said: “I was at the crime scene, it was really horrible. The whole community is shaken up.”
Residents planned to gather for a vigil where her body was found on Wednesday evening, he said.Residents planned to gather for a vigil where her body was found on Wednesday evening, he said.
In local media the suspect has been named as Vikas Bhagat. It was said that he was a “history-sheeter” – an Indian police term for a criminal with a long record of serious crime. Alex Carpenter, 25, a British national who runs environmental projects near Palolem, told the Guardian that McLaughlin had spent the night before her death sleeping at his property. “She came down with a friend of mine, she stayed at my place on Sunday night,” he said. “We had a small ceremony with friends, about 16 people. We burned the statue of an eagle. We played music. She seemed entirely normal, a really interesting person.”
Tavares told the Goacom website: “We have arrested Bhagat. He has confessed to raping the victim and later killing her in order to hide his identity.” McLaughlin said he left at about 2pm the following day – the last time he saw her alive.
Detectives said they had questioned up to 15 people over the murder of McLaughlin, who is understood to have been travelling under a British passport.
Alex Carpenter, 25, a British national who runs environmental projects near Palolem, told the Guardian McLaughlin had spent the night before her death sleeping at his property. “She came down with a friend of mine, she stayed at my place on Sunday night,” he said. “We had a small ceremony with friends, about 16 people. We burned the statue of an eagle. We played music. She seemed entirely normal, a really interesting person.”
McLaughlin left at about 2pm the following day – the last time he saw her alive.
He was asked by police to help identify her body the next morning. “There were about 20 or 30 people standing very close to the crime scene,” he said.“She was in a really bad way. I had to identify her by her hair, her skin colour and certain tattoos.”He was asked by police to help identify her body the next morning. “There were about 20 or 30 people standing very close to the crime scene,” he said.“She was in a really bad way. I had to identify her by her hair, her skin colour and certain tattoos.”
He said McLaughlin had attended a Holi party at the Green Park resort in Palolem beach. A mutual friend had left the party at 8.30pm and asked McLaughlin to join her, “but she decided to stay, she’d found a room in Palolem”, Carpenter said.He said McLaughlin had attended a Holi party at the Green Park resort in Palolem beach. A mutual friend had left the party at 8.30pm and asked McLaughlin to join her, “but she decided to stay, she’d found a room in Palolem”, Carpenter said.
The last his friends had seen her was at about 9.30pm when she was dancing. She disappeared from the party shortly after, he said.The last his friends had seen her was at about 9.30pm when she was dancing. She disappeared from the party shortly after, he said.
Carpenter also accompanied McLaughlin’s body to the medical examiner. He said he had “questions around the police approach”. “This is something that should be done I believe in the presence of a consular official, or a close friend of hers. I was neither. I only knew her for 20 hours,” he said.Carpenter also accompanied McLaughlin’s body to the medical examiner. He said he had “questions around the police approach”. “This is something that should be done I believe in the presence of a consular official, or a close friend of hers. I was neither. I only knew her for 20 hours,” he said.
The Irish embassy said: “Ireland’s embassy in New Delhi is in contact with Indian authorities in relation to reports of an incident involving an Irish citizen. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade stands ready to provide consular assistance.” McLaughlin had been in Ireland when she left to go backpacking around India in February. The Irish embassy said they were in contact with Indian authorities.
McLaughlin had been in Ireland when she left to go backpacking around India in February.
Fr Francis Bradley, a priest from St Mary’s Church in Buncrana, said he had visited the McLaughlin family on Wednesday morning, and described her death as an “immense loss” during an interview with a local radio station.Fr Francis Bradley, a priest from St Mary’s Church in Buncrana, said he had visited the McLaughlin family on Wednesday morning, and described her death as an “immense loss” during an interview with a local radio station.
He told BBC Radio Foyle: “Her family are understandably distraught at what has happened. The loss is immense and the circumstances of that death, the distance between where it happened and where the family are, adds to the difficulty that the family feel at this time.”He told BBC Radio Foyle: “Her family are understandably distraught at what has happened. The loss is immense and the circumstances of that death, the distance between where it happened and where the family are, adds to the difficulty that the family feel at this time.”
He added McLaughlin, a former pupil at Buncrana’s Irish language school, Scoil Mhuire, was a “happy-go-lucky” girl who loved travelling. He added that McLaughlin, a former pupil at Buncrana’s Irish language school, Scoil Mhuire, was a “happy-go-lucky” girl who loved travelling.
He said: “I met the young lady in question a few months ago at the time that her grandfather was gravely ill and she was very close to her grandfather, who subsequently died. She seemed a happy go-lucky, friendly, quiet girl.He said: “I met the young lady in question a few months ago at the time that her grandfather was gravely ill and she was very close to her grandfather, who subsequently died. She seemed a happy go-lucky, friendly, quiet girl.
“To find that there could be malice or something very sinister involved in the way in which someone died is particularly disturbing and has its own challenge that we as a community will have to face.”“To find that there could be malice or something very sinister involved in the way in which someone died is particularly disturbing and has its own challenge that we as a community will have to face.”
Her school principal, Rosaleen Grant, said teachers and pupils were “utterly shattered and devastated”. She said: “She was a very confident, sociable, outgoing girl of a very caring nature. A number of the staff would have known her really well, so it’s just the sense of loss and the fact she’s so far from home makes it so tragic. The principal of her former school, Rosaleen Grant, said teachers and pupils were “utterly shattered and devastated”. She said: “She was a very confident, sociable, outgoing girl of a very caring nature. A number of the staff would have known her really well, so it’s just the sense of loss and the fact she’s so far from home makes it so tragic.
“She loved taking part in school musicals, she did Irish dancing, she was involved in sports and athletics. She was just an all-rounder really.” “She loved taking part in school musicals, she did Irish dancing, she was involved in sports and athletics. She was just an all-rounder, really.”
In her final post on Facebook written in late February, McLaughlin told her friends that she was “off on another adventure” to Goa. In her final post on Facebook, written in late February, McLaughlin told her friends that she was “off on another adventure” to Goa.
She said: “Thank you to all my friends and family for making home so special and always looking after me. I am very grateful and the luckiest person I know … Off on another adventure.”She said: “Thank you to all my friends and family for making home so special and always looking after me. I am very grateful and the luckiest person I know … Off on another adventure.”
Sün Ithilwen said she met McLaughlin when she passed through the Indian city of Rishikesh on her travels.Sün Ithilwen said she met McLaughlin when she passed through the Indian city of Rishikesh on her travels.
“She was super sweet, always happy and smiling,” she said. “To know the circumstances of her death is one thing, but knowing how vibrant and amazing she was, it just breaks my heart.”“She was super sweet, always happy and smiling,” she said. “To know the circumstances of her death is one thing, but knowing how vibrant and amazing she was, it just breaks my heart.”
She said McLaughlin had been “super aware” of the dangers of travelling alone in India. “But she trusted in life and love,” she said.She said McLaughlin had been “super aware” of the dangers of travelling alone in India. “But she trusted in life and love,” she said.
Former colleagues of McLaughlin, who reportedly studied at John Moores University and had lived in Sefton, Merseyside, said she was “so full of life” and worked behind the bar but left a couple of years ago to go travelling.Former colleagues of McLaughlin, who reportedly studied at John Moores University and had lived in Sefton, Merseyside, said she was “so full of life” and worked behind the bar but left a couple of years ago to go travelling.
Tracy Leigh, the manager at the Pumphouse pub in the Albert Dock in Liverpool, said: “She was a lovely young girl and so full of life. All the staff are desperately sorry and send their condolences to her family. It is a shocking incident – she was so young.”Tracy Leigh, the manager at the Pumphouse pub in the Albert Dock in Liverpool, said: “She was a lovely young girl and so full of life. All the staff are desperately sorry and send their condolences to her family. It is a shocking incident – she was so young.”
McLaughlin is believed to have been visiting the area to mark Holi, a Hindu spring festival in India and Nepal, also known as the “festival of colours” with people throwing colourful paint at each other to celebrate the triumph of good over evil.
According to Goacom, a friend working in the accommodation business at nearby Agonda said McLaughlin had arrived in the area on Sunday and stayed with another friend.According to Goacom, a friend working in the accommodation business at nearby Agonda said McLaughlin had arrived in the area on Sunday and stayed with another friend.
The friend said she had left at 2pm on Monday and was seen at a hotel in Palolem dancing with Indian friends during the celebrations.The friend said she had left at 2pm on Monday and was seen at a hotel in Palolem dancing with Indian friends during the celebrations.
Rena Donaghey, a councillor in Buncrana,said her death had left the whole community in deep shock.Rena Donaghey, a councillor in Buncrana,said her death had left the whole community in deep shock.
She said: “Everyone is very saddened by the news. She was a lovely young woman who has come to a very sad end. She was very popular and very liked in the community.” Meanwhile, her close friend Christy Duffy, has already raised several thousand euros on a fundraising website to help pay for the funeral and repatriation costs.
He said: “There is nothing I need to say about Danielle as anyone who knew her, knew that she was a beautiful and kind hearted, funny young lady who loved life and was a loyal and devoted friend, sister and daughter.
In September two men were acquitted of involvement in the 2008 death of Scarlett Keeling, 15, from Devon, whose body was found on Anjuna beach in the north of the state.In September two men were acquitted of involvement in the 2008 death of Scarlett Keeling, 15, from Devon, whose body was found on Anjuna beach in the north of the state.
The teenager’s death was initially ruled an accidental drowning but pressure from her mother forced police to conduct a second autopsy, which revealed evidence of ecstasy, cocaine and LSD in her body. It also showed 50 cuts and bruises and evidence of sexual assault.The teenager’s death was initially ruled an accidental drowning but pressure from her mother forced police to conduct a second autopsy, which revealed evidence of ecstasy, cocaine and LSD in her body. It also showed 50 cuts and bruises and evidence of sexual assault.
The UK Foreign Office advises that women should use caution when travelling in India and reports that sexual assault cases are increasing.The UK Foreign Office advises that women should use caution when travelling in India and reports that sexual assault cases are increasing.
In Goa in particular, the FCO warns there have been reports of “drinks being spiked and travellers, including British nationals, subsequently being robbed, sexually assaulted or dying. There have also been reports of locals posing as police officers or government officials in order to extort money, so be alert if approached. Avoid beaches after dark.”In Goa in particular, the FCO warns there have been reports of “drinks being spiked and travellers, including British nationals, subsequently being robbed, sexually assaulted or dying. There have also been reports of locals posing as police officers or government officials in order to extort money, so be alert if approached. Avoid beaches after dark.”