Northern Ireland

Family of Nóra Quoirin to launch legal challenge to inquest ruling 'as soon as possible'

Nóra Quoirin went missing in the jungle while on a family holiday in 2019. Picture by Lucie Blackman Trust/Family handout/PA Wire
Nóra Quoirin went missing in the jungle while on a family holiday in 2019. Picture by Lucie Blackman Trust/Family handout/PA Wire Nóra Quoirin went missing in the jungle while on a family holiday in 2019. Picture by Lucie Blackman Trust/Family handout/PA Wire

THE family of Nóra Quoirin are to launch a legal challenge to the inquest ruling into her death "as soon as possible".

It comes after a coroner ruled earlier this month that the 15-year-old's death was most likely due to misadventure after she vanished in the Malaysian jungle while on holiday.

Last week her mother Meabh Quoirin, who is originally from Belfast, said the inquest had brought up more unanswered questions into their daughter's death in 2019.

She said evidence heard at the hearing last year had "strengthened our case" that Nóra, who was born with a very rare genetic condition leading to cognitive difficulties, was abducted.

The family also branded the official findings as "incomplete".

Lawyer S Sakthyvell yesterday confirmed the family are to submit a challenge to the inquest ruling in the court in the city of Seremban.

"We have not set a target date," he told the Malay Mail.

"Waiting for the notes of evidence from the court. There is no fixed time frame under the law for this application.

"It is to be filed soon as possible."

If the challenge fails, the family can go to the court of appeal.

The teenager disappeared at the Dusun eco-resort in southern Negeri Sembilan state, a day after her family arrived for a holiday. After an extensive search, her body was found 10 days later beside a stream on a palm oil estate around 1.6 miles from the resort.

Police believed she climbed out of the cottage window on her own, with no evidence of any foul play.

But Nóra's parents believe she was kidnapped because she had mental and physical disabilities and would not have wandered off on her own.

Last week her mother said: "When we went into the inquest, we had a lot of unanswered questions and while many of those questions cannot be answered we actually found out a great deal about what went on during those 10 days when Nora was missing.

"In fact we felt it really strengthened our case, our belief, that Nora was abducted and we found some compelling evidence to support our view on that."