THE trial of a man accused of the rape and murder of Donegal woman Danielle McLaughlin in Goa, India is due to get underway this Friday.
Danielle, from Buncrana, was found dead in Goa 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.
Her mother, Andrea Brannigan, confirmed to RTÉ’s Sean O’Rourke show that the trial is expected to get underway on Friday.
Ms Brannigan has been granted a special status to assist the prosecution during the trial. She has appointed a lawyer to act on her behalf during proceedings.
Previously Ms Brannigan spoke about the heartbreaking questions she has been left with following the untimely death of her daughter.
“I would like to know why. My question is why. Why destroy her trust? Why take away my lovely daughter? Why let the world miss out, her sisters miss her terribly, her friends miss her. The world has lost a lot in losing her. She could have done so much good in the world,” she said.
The family are also fundraising to cover the cost of having a legal representative in India and for costs associated with investigators and other services used by the family in their bid to get justice for Danielle.
Anyone wishing to donate can do so by visiting the website www.truthfordanielle.com or visit any Ulster Bank and say they would like to donate to ‘The Truth For Danielle Fund’ the fund has an account in Ulster Bank in Buncrana.