Team Herald
CANACONA: The body of backpacker Danielle is finally back with her family in Buncrana, Donegal.
After a long wait of two weeks, the family, relatives and friends of Danielle McLaughlin, 28, who was sexually assaulted and later strangulated to death allegedly by a local history sheeter Vikat Baghat, at a secluded spot in the fields of Devabagh (gods garden), Canacona, two weeks ago while on a backpacking adventure trip to India, stood in respectful silence as her remains finally arrived at her home in Buncrana, County Donegal, Ireland on Monday night.
Neighbours in the close-knit Inishowen peninsula town have rallied around Danielle’s heartbroken mum, Andrea, and her four younger sisters.
Danielle’s remains had arrived back in Dublin on Friday morning, but underwent a second post-mortem at her family’s request before being taken to Belfast for medical procedures wherein her face will undergo a few stitches as her face was disfigured as she was allegedly attacked by a broken beer bottle.
“In brilliant late March sunshine, Danielle’s remains were taken from Belfast and arrived home in a black hearse van with a Garda (police) escort at 7.30 pm local time as light was fading in the border town tonight, so terrible her mother and little sisters so young having to see her like that, we had beautiful sunshine on her arrival she loved the sunshine so much,” added another source. Local priest Fr Francis Bradley arrived at the family home a short time before Danielle’s cortege and said prayers inside the home.
Her mother Andrea said earlier this week that she would not fully grasp her eldest daughter’s death until she held her hand.
Large crowds are expected at her wake (a social gathering before the funeral) which will take place at her family home from 10 am until 10 pm Tuesday and Wednesday.
Her funeral has been scheduled for Thursday at 11 am local time at Cockhill Chapel in her home town.
