Groves family launch petition as patience wears thin

Monday 12 February 2018

Sarah Groves' father is appealing for people to sign a petition calling on the UK government to intervene in the long running court case in India regarding his daughter's murder.

Vic Groves says if it attracts enough support the petition will be submitted to the UK's Foreign Secretary, who he hopes will be able to force some action in the trial of the man accused of murdering her.

Miss Groves was stabbed multiple times as she stayed on a houseboat in Kashmir in April 2013. Dutchman Richard de Wit who had also been staying on a houseboat was arrested soon after Miss Groves' body was found.

He was charged with her murder and has been held in custody since then while his trial has made very slow progress.

The case has seen multiple judges, defence and prosecution lawyers and it was moved to a new court last year in an attempt to speed the judicial process up.

The next scheduled hearing is due to take place on Wednesday 21 February. That will the 111th time the case has been scheduled but despite the high number of hearings a number of witnesses still haven't been processed.

Previously, in numerous interviews with local and national media Miss Groves parents have tried to encourage more progress in the trial. Their patience appears to be wearing thin with Mr Groves contacting supporters over the weekend to ask them to sign the petition:

"Please excuse this unorthodox intrusion and deviation from the norm.

"Yesterday, we set up a petition which has already received thousands of signatures.  Our eventual target is 100,000.

"It reads: “Boris Johnson MP: HELP US TO FIND JUSTICE FOR SARAH IN KASHMIR!!.”

"May I ask you to sign it and share it with others?

"Here's the link: petition."

Within hours of the petition being launched it had been signed by thousands of people and was being shared extensively on social media.