Remains of Nora Anne found

SEREMBAN: The remains of missing Irish teenager Nora Anne Quoirin have been found in a stream at Pantai Hills some 2.5km from the resort where she and her family were staying.

The family has positively identified the body as Nora Anne’s and the post-mortem will be done today, said state police chief Datuk Mohamad Mat Yusop at the Tuanku Ja’afar Hospital yesterday night.

Earlier at another press conference, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Mazlan Mansor said a group of trekkers found Nora Anne’s naked body near a stream some 2.5km from the resort she was staying in at 1.57pm.

“It was found in a ravine which may be some 1.2km deep, ” he said.

The group was part of the search and rescue (SAR) team looking for Nora Anne since she disappeared from the resort where she was holidaying with her family on Aug 4.

He said due to the depth, the body had to be winched out by a helicopter.

“We have sent the remains to the Tuanku Ja’afar Hospital for post-mortem, ” he said.

Asked if there were any visible injuries on the body, Mazlan said this cannot be established as yet.

“The forensics team is also investigating if there was any element of crime in the case, ” he said

To another question, he said it was too early to tell how many days the deceased had been dead or the cause of death.

Asked if there was anything suspicious or leads the police obtained at the scene, Mazlan said there were none.

To another question, Mazlan said the (SAR) teams had already combed the area where the body was found, and that the team was immediately dispatched to the site after it received a call from a member of the public.

The Lucie Blackman Trust, which is representing the family, said while it cannot confirm it was Nora Anne, it “sadly seemed likely”.

image: https://apicms.thestar.com.my/uploads/images/2019/08/14/211359.jpg

Cherished moments: A file photo of Nora Anne with her other Meabh. — AFP

“All at the Lucie Blackman Trust are thinking of the family and continue to support them as they come to terms with this news, ” it said a statement yesterday afternoon.

Nora Anne, 15, had checked into the property for a two-week-stay with her parents, Sebastian Marie Philipe and Meabh Jaseprine Quoirin, and siblings Innes Julia and Maurice Arthure, on Aug 3.

However, she was not found in the room she shared with her siblings the following morning.

A window in the room, which could only be opened from the inside, was open.

The girl, who is of French-Irish parentage, has learning difficulties.

Apart from the police, those involved in the operations were personnel from the Fire and Rescue Services Department, Civil Defence, Rela, Orang Asli from the police’s Senoi Praaq unit, the local Orang Asli, and villagers.

On Monday, the family offered a reward of RM50, 000 for information leading to Nora Anne’s return.

Her parents described Nora Anne, who was born with holoprosencephaly, as a very special child.

“Nora is a very special person. She is fun, funny, and extremely loving. With her family, she is very affectionate – family is her whole world and she loves to play games, like Cat Bingo, with us.

“She likes to tell us silly jokes and wear clever, colourful T-shirts. She is not like other teenagers. She is not independent and does not go anywhere alone, ” said the family in an Aug 9 statement from the Lucie Blackman Trust.- Star