Missing teen’s body discovered in Malaysia
● Nora’s remains found about a mile from jungle holiday resort
A body found in Malaysia has been confirmed as that of missing teenager Nora Quoirin in what has been described as “every family’s worst nightmare”.
The 15-year-old’s body was identified yesterday, hours after it was discovered following a large search. The London teenager, who has special needs, disappeared on 4 August from the jungle resort of Dusun where she had been on holiday with her family.
The Lucie Blackman Trust, which is handling media for the Quoirin family, confirmed “with great sadness that the body found today is that of missing teenager Nora Quoirin. Local police have confirmed identification.”
The trust said Nora’s family would not immediately be making any statement and asked for their privacy be respected “at this awful time”.
A post-mortem examination is due to take place this morning to determine the cause of death.
Earlier national deputy police chief Mazlan Mansor said the naked body had been found beside a small stream about a mile from the resort by volunteers who were helping the search team.
He said the remains had been winched by helicopter to a hospital mortuary where her family were due to identify her.
Mr Mansor said the body “was not in any clothing”. He said that, while it remained a missing persons case, police were looking into all possibilities, including the “angle of criminal investigation”.
Nora’s mother made a heartfelt appeal on Monday to find her daughter as a £10,000 reward – donated by an anonymous Belfast business – was offered for information leading to her safe return.
The teenager’s parents, Meabh and Sebastien Quoirin, a French-irish couple who have lived in London for 20 years, had thanked those looking for her as fundraising pages set up by Nora’s aunt and uncle collected more than £100,000 from wellwishers.
Irish premier Leo Varadkar said, following the confirmation that Nora’s body had been found, the situation was “every family’s worst nightmare”.
He tweeted: “Our thoughts and sincere condolences are with Nora Quoirin’s parents, siblings and wider family at this unimaginably difficult time.
“They have experienced every family’s worst nightmare. I’d like to pay tribute to everyone who searched for Nora. May she rest in peace.”
Irish president Michael Higgins and his wife Sabina offered their “deepest condolences” to Nora’s parents, to her siblings and to her extended family.
He said: “On behalf of the people of Ireland, I would also like to express my gratitude for the assistance given by the Malaysian authorities in the search for Nora, for the volunteers who answered the call to join the search and for all those throughout Malaysia, Ireland, Britain and France who offered what support they could.
“Our thoughts and prayers are now with Nora’s family, at this most difficult time.”
The French Foreign Ministry expressed its sincere condolences to Nora’s family.
Volunteer hikers and even a shaman were among those who took part in the search for Nora, who was born with the brain defect holoprosencephaly. The Quoirins had said her condition meant she was not independent and had difficulty walking.