Sarah Groves’ father calls for help as murder accused appears in court for 87th time

Source:- news.sky.com

The father of a British backpacker killed in India four years ago is calling for justice after the man accused of her murder faced his 87th court hearing without being committed for trial.

Sarah Groves, 24, was stabbed more than 40 times while she slept on a houseboat in Kashmir in 2013.

Dutchman Richard de Wit, also a guest on the houseboat, was arrested in connection with her death and has so far faced 87 court hearings.

Despite the large number of appearances, he has still not been committed for trial.

Miss Groves’ parents, Victor and Kate, have said the process is a “disgrace” and are calling on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to step in.

Mr Groves, from Guernsey, said: “What we really want is for severe pressure to be brought on the Indian authorities to treat the trial with the respect it deserves.

“It really is what I would call an absolute disgrace.”

Mr Groves said the defendant suffers from paranoia and had repeatedly sacked legal representatives he believed had a connection with the Dutch government.

He continued: “We believe the judge can impose a legal counsel on him, the equivalent of legal aid, and that is what we have been asking for.

“We want the foreign secretary Boris Johnson to get involved and kick ass.”

In the latest hearing on Tuesday, Mr de Wit was presented before the judge Rashi Ali Dar, who was told he had been unable to find a new lawyer and the case was unable to progress yet again.

The judge has ordered a report to be produced on Mr de Wit’s mental health.

It has been reported that Mr de Wit said during the hearing that he was willing to reveal a secret about Miss Groves’ death to her parents, but Mr Groves said he was sceptical about this and believed it could be “fake news”.

Mr Groves said he did not currently have plans to attend the next hearing of the case, planned for 16 February, because of the travel costs.

A foreign office spokeswoman said: “We want to see whoever committed this crime brought to justice, but we cannot interfere in the independent legal proceedings of another country, just as we do not allow other countries to interfere with our own justice system.”