The Dublin government is to be represented at court hearings in the murder trial of an Indian man accused of raping and murdering Donegal woman Danielle McLaughlin.
The move is one of a number of measures outlined by the Department of the Taoiseach to Ms McLaughlin’s mother, Andrea Brannigan.
Ms McLaughlin (28), from Buncrana, was found in a secluded part of Goa in March last year after she was raped and murdered during the Indian Holi festival. A local man, Vikat Bhagat was subsequently arrested and charged with murder.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was forced to apologise in person to Ms McLaughlin’s mother earlier this month after an official from his department told the Donegal woman that a meeting with Mr Varadkar was “probably not worthwhile” as her daughter had not been an Irish citizen.
At a meeting with Ms Brannigan in Derry, Mr Varadkar also agreed to follow up on a number of the Donegal woman’s suggestions as to how the Irish government could help.
Ms Brannigan confirmed yesterday that the Department of the Taoiseach has been in contact to confirm a number of measures. These included offers of practical assistance from the Irish Embassy. The Taoiseach has asked the embassy to meet Indian authorities to discuss the case and to attend court hearings.
Ms Brannigan said the Taoiseach’s suggestions would help her grieve for her murdered daughter.
She said: “The fact that somebody is going to go to the court is all I’ve really been asking for. That might put pressure on somebody in authority to fast track the court because we could be chatting five years otherwise.
“I need this so that I can grieve. I need this part over. I need to be able to grieve because at the moment I just feel that I’m fighting one authority after another looking for help.”
