Police have charged a man with the murder of an Irish woman in the southern Indian state of Goa.
Danielle McLaughlin’s body was discovered in an open field close to tourist resorts in Canacona on Tuesday.
In a tribute, her mother, Andrea Brannigan, said she would be “sadly missed by all”.
She said the family were finding it a “difficult and trying time” since receiving the “awful news” about her 28-year-old daughter.
She also thanked the Irish and British consulates for their support.
Ms McLaughlin grew up in Buncrana, County Donegal, in the Republic of Ireland. She was an Irish national holding a British passport and had travelled to India in February.
‘Happy-go-lucky person’
The police believe that she had been sexually assaulted and a post-mortem examination has taken place to establish whether that is the case. She had injuries on her face and head.
Ms McLaughlin’s body was identified with the help of some foreign tourists and with information from social networking websites.
Fr Francis Bradley from St Mary’s Church in Buncrana, who visited the McLaughlin family on Wednesday morning, described the death as an “immense loss”.
He said McLaughlin’s mother had now lost her eldest child having lost her youngest child, husband and father in recent years.
Fr Bradley described Ms McLaughlin as a “happy-go-lucky” girl who loved to travel.
“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,” he added.
Ms McLaughlin went to Buncrana’s Irish language school, Scoil Mhuire.
The school principal, Rosaleen Grant, said teachers and pupils alike were “just utterly shattered and devastated”.
“She was a very confident, sociable, outgoing girl of a very caring nature,” said Ms Grant.
“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.”
Liverpool John Moores University said it was “shocked and saddened” to hear of the death of one of its former students.
Michael Safi, the Guardian’s South Asia correspondent, said a candlelit vigil has been held in Goa, close to the spot where Ms McLaughlin was found.
“The murder has left people “absolutely shocked,” he told the BBC.
“This is not the first crime to occur of this nature in Goa. The place is a big tourist engine for India. For the locals, there was concern this could impact very badly on their little slice of paradise.
“Many locals gathered with tourists at the nearby police station in order to put pressure on police to ensure people are watched and to get this case investigated thoroughly.”
Last year, an Indian court cleared two men of raping and killing British teenager Scarlett Keeling.
The 15-year-old was found dead on Goa’s popular Anjuna beach in 2008, having drowned after allegedly being plied with drugs.
Miss Keeling’s mother said her heart sank after hearing of Ms McLaughlin’s death.
“It is horrific,” Fiona MacKeown said. “My heart breaks for her family and friends.
“I know what they are going through.”
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