Nora Quoirin: Anger As Death Probe Closes

The Malaysian Attorney General has chosen to take "no further action" over the death of Nora Quoirin, a teenager who died after spending 10 days missing in the Malaysian jungle last August, sparking anger from her heartbroken parents.

The vulnerable 15 year-old went missing during a family holiday to Dusun on August 04, 2019. Her body was discovered less than two miles away from the jungle resort some 10 days later.

Nora's mother Meabh, who is originally from Belfast, and father Sebastien have long rejected police theories that there was no foul play involved in her death.

The couple are demanding answers after the Malaysian Attorney General's Chambers (ACG) classified their daughter's death as "no further action" required.

A written statement released through the Lucie Blackman Trust said: "We are shocked by this decision, not least because it is based on a preliminary report from the Coroner's office.

"To date, we have only received a short explanation from the pathologists who conducted the post-mortem in Malaysia which confirmed the cause of death as gastro-intestinal bleeding and an ulcer (likely brought on by starvation and/or stress). We must emphasise however that this is only a brief extract of what will be the full post-mortem report, which is as yet still unavailable. It is critical that we receive this report. It may reveal other significant details that contributed to Nóra’s death, such as why a severe ulcer was triggered so quickly in her body. It is moreover utterly unacceptable that we have not received a single update from Malaysia since Nóra's death."

The couple have accused the ACG of preventing justice being done and said repeated requests for police clarification have been ignored.

They added: "As a vulnerable child, with significant physical and mental challenges, we strongly refute any conclusion that Nóra was alone for the entire duration of her disappearance."

The family said investigations are in "stark contrast" with assurances of transparency from the Deputy Prime Minister.

"We cannot believe, nor understand why, any modern economy would label such a harrowing and mysterious case NFA without full process and the total refusal to communicate with us is both insulting and unfathomable. Our governments in France & Ireland support our demands for justice. We therefore now appeal directly to the highest levels of Malaysian government as well as the Attorney General's office to assist our quest for the truth."

The Lucie Blackman Trust also expressed shock at the news. Chief Executive Matthew Seattle said: "It seems unbelievable that, in a case that looks so complex and currently unexplained, that any authority could effectively close it down without even waiting for full reports. The idea that Nóra went off, on her own, seems incredibly unlikely. This family need answers and at least deserve an investigation to the greatest lengths available. We are urgently seeking answers from various authorities – Nóra's death needs to be explained."



(JG/CM)