An inquest into the death of Nóra Quoirin, the teenager who disappeared while on a family holiday in a Malaysian jungle a year ago, begins on Monday.
The body of Ms Quoirin (15) was found 2km from the Dusun resort where she and her parents and two younger siblings were staying. She was reported missing on August 4th.
The teenager's mother, Meabh, is from Belfast. Her father, Sebastien, is French.
Malaysian police insisted there was no sign of foul play and authorities classed the case as “requiring no further action”.
Special needs
However, her parents believe the teenager, who had special needs, did not simply wander off and may have been abducted before being killed.
They have pinned their hopes that the inquest will provide answers as to her disappearance.
“We hope that all avenues surrounding Nóra’s disappearance will be fully explored and not just the theory which the police has always favoured,” they said in a statement to AFP.
“Only we, her parents, have a real understanding of what Nóra was and was not capable of, and up to now it seems that her handicap has not been truly taken into account.”
They described the inquest, which runs until September 4th and will be live-streamed to the public, as “a crucial element in the fight for truth and justice for Nóra”.
Sixty-four people, including the Quoirins, will give evidence at the inquest which will be held in the city of Seremban.
The Quoirins will not be travelling to Malaysia because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but will give evidence and watch via the internet.
On August 13th the coroner went to the Dusun resort south of Kuala.
