‘WE KNOW OUR NORA WAS TAKEN’
Agony of girl’s parents
THE parents of a girl found dead in the Malaysian jungle are certain she was snatched from their chalet – and warned the abductor could strike again.
Nora Quoirin, 15, died after she went missing on a family holiday near Kuala Lumpur in August.
Her mum and dad Meabh and Sebastien, 47, were dismayed to learn police have now ended their investigation and refuse to hold an inquest into Nora’s death.
Meabh, 45, said: “We are 100% sure Nora was taken by someone.
“We fear the person involved could strike again.
“We owe it to Nora and the Malaysian people to push for every investigation possible.”
The girl was last seen in bed at the Dusun Rainforest Resort on August 3, just hours after she checked in with her parents, as well as siblings Innes, 12, and Maurice, eight.
Her body was found 10 days later. Malaysian authorities say she died from “intestinal damage” which was likely to have been caused by hunger and stress.
Police believe Nora wandered off on her own, but her parents say she had a medical condition that would make that extremely unlikely.
Nora, inset, was a pupil at a special needs school close to the family home in Balham, south-west London. She was born with holoprosencephaly. This meant that her brain was not developed properly and caused her difficulties with walking, balance and looking after herself.
Meabh added: “The minute that Nora was found, all investigations ground to a halt.
“I don’t want to describe it as a cover-up by the Malaysian authorities, but the way they are acting can only fuel suspicion. “The police refused to believe there was a criminal element to Nora going missing from the start. “Their argument Nora must have got up on her own to go and find monkeys or butterflies simply was not credible.”
The search was finally stepped up after international attention began to focus on the case.
Nora’s body was found about a mile and a half from the chalet. Meabh told how the moment her daughter was discovered is still replaying in her mind.
She said: “Immediately we knew. I can still hear myself screaming ‘no’ at the police officers, but we had to face the inevitable.”
The family are now suing the resort that Nora went missing from.