Northern Ireland

Nóra Quoirin: Police search for clues ends as family prepare to lay the 15-year-old to rest

Photograph supplied by the Lucie Blackman Trust on behalf of the Quoirin family showing Nora Quoirin
Photograph supplied by the Lucie Blackman Trust on behalf of the Quoirin family showing Nora Quoirin Photograph supplied by the Lucie Blackman Trust on behalf of the Quoirin family showing Nora Quoirin

MALAYSIAN police and French and Irish investigators who had been working with local authorities have ended their search for clues to Nóra Quoirin's final days, according to news reports.

State police chief Datuk Mohamad Mat Yusop told the media that detectives investigating the 15-year-old's death "as such, we have moved out" of the area where her remains were found 10 days after she went missing, but insisted officers would return to the area if needed.

He also confirmed French and Irish investigators who had been working with Malaysian authorities have "also left the area".

Meanwhile, deputy Health Minister Dr Lee Boon Chye told the Malaysian Sun newspaper it was the family's "right" to request another post mortem after results indicated Nora died of "intestinal bleeding" likely caused by hunger and stress.

"It is their right. We are confident in the professionalism of our pathologists. Our confidence is not shaken," he said.

It is believed she died around the sixth day after she vanished from the Dusun resort on August 4 on the first morning of a family holiday.

Missing persons charity the Lucie Blackman Trust is arranging repatriation of Nora's body, which has reportedly been released from the Tuanku Ja’afar Hospital in Seremban.

The trust said it will not be disclosing any details of the repatriation or funeral arrangements.

Her parents, Belfast-born Meabh and French national Sebastien Quoirin, appeared to distance themselves from suggestions by other family members and representatives that they continue to believe she may have been abducted in a statement released through the charity on Saturday.

"Nóra's family are concerned that continued reporting of comments such as those recently reported are unhelpful and may hinder any investigations, as well as causing confusion and distress for them," it read.

Mr and Mrs Quoirin had earlier said Nóra, who had the congenital brain defect, holoprosencephaly, "will finally be laid to rest, close to her loving families in France and Ireland", and indicated they were hoping to have answers to their "many questions" about the "extremely complex circumstances" leading to her death.

Nóra was baptised in St Brigid's Church in south Belfast where her grandparents are parishioners.

Her body was eventually found 1.6 miles from the holiday resort in an area which had reportedly already been searched.