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Ten years after she was killed in Kashmir, the heartbroken parents and family of Guernsey woman Sarah Groves are still fighting to see justice for her. They opened up about their continuing battle.
Richard de Wit denies murdering 24-year-old Sarah in the early hours of 6 April 2013.
His trial has been beset with delays over the past decade caused by civil unrest, floods, and covid, as well as avoidable issues such as the Judge going on holiday, witnesses not turning up, and evidence being lost.
Pictured: Richard de Wit denies murdering Sarah Groves a decade ago.
"The case itself was a farce and didn't really resemble a court case. It's been nothing like a proper trial," said Vic Groves, Sarah's father.
The case was suspended in 2021 after 225 scheduled hearings. Only 70 of those hearings actually happened.
His mental health deteriorated to such an extent during the covid pandemic that the trial was suspended and has yet to resume.
"We've almost written that trial off," said Mr Groves, "we don't even think about it now. It's never going to reach a conclusion."
Ten years on from their daughter's death, Mr and Mrs Groves say they still receive so much support and feel positivity around Sarah and her short life.
Pictured: Sarah Groves was 24 when she died.
"She was a delight," said her dad.
Both said the support received from Sarah's friends is equalled by those who had never met her from across all of the Channel Islands in particular.
Just a few days ago, Sarah's mum, Kate Groves, had a stranger approach her to tell her that she had written to her.
"I said, 'I'm so sorry if I didn't reply,' and she said, 'Oh no, I just want you to know that I think of you very often," Mrs Groves recalled.
"Guernsey were playing Jersey at rugby at Footes Lane and there was an absolutely rampant Jersey supporter, and everything Jersey did was, 'yeah!' and everything Guernsey did was 'booo'. At the end of the game, he saw me and came over and he did what that lady did and he was offering his commiserations," added Mr Groves.
Pictured: The Sarah Groves Foundation was launched by her parents in the months following her death, and it has funded many projects to help others - particularly children - over the past ten years.
Sarah had left Guernsey in 2012 to go travelling, climbing Kilimanjaro before making her way to India.
She met a man who would become her boyfriend and he invited her to stay with him on a houseboat his family owned in Kashmir.
"...Unfortunately, when she went to India against my better judgement, and my close friends tried to persuade her it was ill-advised," said Mrs Groves. "But she'd had her heart broken here, and she said 'I just have to go, I've got to go. Please don't try and stop me.'... What can you do... when they're 24?
"She had her plans, and she had arrangements.... and those plans we felt we could plot as she was going along.
"...She went to Goa and she wanted to go to an Ashram to improve her yoga skills and while she was there she saw someone without a jacket or someone who hadn't eaten for a while and she took them some food or bought them a jacket and that attracted the wrong attention," said Mrs Groves.
Pictured: Kate and Vic Groves are still waiting for justice for their daughter a decade after her death.
Mrs Groves said Sarah was "the golden thread" of their family. "She's still integral to our lives," she said.
Mr Groves added: "Her name is there not just in thought but we are involved in things, the Sarah Groves Foundation for one thing - every time you mention that, you've got her name out there so you can't forget her.
"When people say, 'I think of her every second of every day' - well, you don't, clearly, but you probably do every hour or every two hours, and in the mornings when you wake up."
Mrs Groves said she keeps busy as much as she can to deal with her grief.
"The loss of Sarah's future... that's a bitter pill to swallow," she said. "Our own sons... he impact of losing her, and the circumstances are more than most people can assimilate and live with. Then we have Isabella and Lucy (granddaughters), they are profoundly damaged by this. They adored her."
Pictured: Sarah Groves' parents, brothers, and nieces will be quietly marking the tenth anniversary of her death.
Marking the decade anniversary of Sarah's death will be done quietly, with family around them, said Mrs Groves.
"We traditionally do something quietly to remember her and we do it in our own way. Her birthday is a different thing. I used to gather her friends around and they stayed close and because it's the tenth anniversary, she would have been 35 this year so I thought I'll do something with her friends to commemorate that."
"No one ever thinks it will happen to them," said Mrs Groves. "It happens to other people, not to us. "Not that you'd wish it on anyone. I'm patently aware there are other parents who have lost...my heart goes out to them, because it's no less painful for them. It's just different."
Mr Groves said the trial has dominated their lives for the decade since they lost their only daughter.
"We're not looking for a sympathy vote. We're no different to anyone else. What we do have is a 10-year wait and a 10-year battle that wears you down, that dominates your life, which stops you... even on holidays the calls don't stop."
You can listen to the full interview with Sarah Groves' parents below or by searching 'Bailiwick Podcasts' on your favourite podcast provider...
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