Nora Anne Quoirin autopsy reveals London teen suffered from hunger and 'prolonged stress' in Malaysian jungle
Updated earlier today at 8:10amFri 16 Aug 2019, 8:10am
Photo: Nora Anne Quoirin went missing while on holiday with her family in Malaysia. (AP: The Lucie Blackman Trust/family)
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Malaysian authorities have said a London teenager, whose body was found near a jungle stream 10 days after she went missing from a resort, died from internal bleeding probably due to prolonged hunger and stress.
Key points:
- The autopsy showed the London teenager had suffered intestinal damage
- Malaysian authorities said there was no evidence she had been sexually assaulted
- It was estimated that she had been dead for two or three days before her body was found
The remains of Nora Anne Quoirin, 15, who had learning difficulties, were found on Tuesday.
She had been reported missing from a rainforest resort in Seremban, about 70 kilometres south of the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, 10 days earlier.
Police said an autopsy on Wednesday showed Nora had suffered intestinal damage, and that there was no evidence that she had been sexually assaulted.
There was also no evidence "for the time being" to indicate she was a victim of kidnapping, police said.
She was estimated to have been dead two or three days when her body was found.
Photo: The search team involved sniffer dogs, elite forces and thermal detectors. (Reuters: Lim Huey Teng)
Negeri Sembilan state police chief Mohamad Mat Yusop told a news conference at the hospital morgue: "For the time being, there is no element of abduction or kidnapping.
"The cause of death was upper-gastrointestinal bleeding due to duodenal ulcer, complicated with perforation... it could be due to a lack of food for a long period of time and due to prolonged stress."
Mr Yusop added there were also some bruises on Nora's legs, but that they would not have caused her death.
He said samples taken from her body would be sent to the chemistry department for further analysis, and that her family were free to repatriate her body to the UK.
Photo: Nearly 350 people were involved in the search operation. (Reuters: Lim Huey Teng)
Nora's naked body was discovered on Tuesday beside a small stream about 2.5 kilometres from the Dusun eco-resort after disappearing from her family's resort cottage on August 4.
Her family's lawyer had earlier said they hoped police would investigate possible foul play.
They also thanked searchers, saying: "Nora is at the heart of our family. She is the truest, most precious girl and we love her infinitely.
"The cruelty of her being taken away is unbearable. Our hearts are broken. We will always love our Nora."
Police from Ireland, France and the UK had travelled to Malaysia to assist in the investigation.
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Video: Malaysian rescuers play mother's voice on loudspeaker to look for missing British teen (ABC News)
Nearly 350 people were involved in the massive search operation including sniffer dogs, elite commando forces and thermal detectors, but no evidence had turned up until the discovery of the teenager's body on Tuesday.
Prior to the discovery of Nora's body, her mother Meabh Quoirin had announced a 50,000 ringgit ($17,612) reward, donated by a Belfast-based business, for information that could directly help police find her daughter.
AP/Reuters