A 31-year-old man was sentenced to life imprisonment on Monday after he raped and murdered an Irish woman at a popular tourist resort nearly eight years ago in the tourist resort state of Goa.
The body of a 28-year-old Irish woman was discovered on a beach in Goa in March 2017. After her death, the autopsy report showed cerebral damage and constriction of the neck as the cause of her death, according to a report by the Associated Press.
The accused, Vikat Bhagat was convicted of the crime on Friday. In a statement, the victim’s family expressed gratitude to the public prosecutor and the investigating officer for ensuring justice. Under Indian law, rape victims’ identities are typically protected.
Victim’s Body Found In Forested Area Of Goa’s Palolem Beach
“Today the court has given the final verdict, life imprisonment to the accused,” investigating officer Filomeno Costa told the news agency ANI. Vikas Varma, the victim’s lawyer confirmed that the body was found in a forested area of Goa’s Palolem beach, along with multiple injuries, including some on her face.
“Nothing can compensate the loss of a child, but the sentence has diluted the grief of the family.” “It was a long battle of nearly eight years but justice has been done, ” Reuters quoted Varma as saying.
The lawyer further noted the forensic reports confirming that the woman was raped and her face smashed in with a beer bottle in order to hide her identity.
The incident underscored the ongoing issue of violence against women in India, despite stricter sexual assault laws introduced after the 2012 gang rape and murder of a young woman on a bus in New Delhi.
Goa, a well-known backpacking hotspot, attracts millions of tourists each year to its many beach resorts.
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