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The father of Nóra Quoirin, whose body was found in the Malaysian jungle, said in an investigation that he heard noises at the family’s vacation chalet before she disappeared.
The body of the 15-year-old, who had learning difficulties, was discovered naked last year after a massive hunt through the jungle.
Authorities insist there was no foul play, but her parents believe she was abducted from the resort where they were staying near Kuala Lumpur, saying that Nóra would not have left alone.
Testifying in the investigation into his death, Sebastien Quoirin said he “heard a thud coming from the chalet” late at night on the day the family arrived.
“I could feel that it was close … I cannot describe the nature of the noise,” he said, speaking via video link, as he was unable to attend the hearing in person due to the coronavirus.
However, he did not get up to investigate, saying that he was in a “semi-conscious state.”
Nóra’s mother, Meabh Quoirin, made similar claims in her testimony yesterday.
They found out that their daughter was missing the next morning.
A 10-day hunt involving hundreds of rescuers followed, before Nóra’s body was found near the compound.
A latch on the chalet window was broken, but Nóra’s father did not believe that she could have gone out alone as she struggled with mobility and balance.
“He has no survival instincts. I couldn’t understand how he could get out of the chalet and venture out of the compound,” he said.
He said that Nóra’s feet were unharmed when her body was discovered, which would be unusual if she spent days wandering the jungle, and believes she might have been abducted and then dumped.
“The kidnappers may have realized that she was a liability after the extensive police search and widespread media attention,” he said.
The family has criticized authorities for being slow to respond after Nóra’s disappearance, but police say they conducted a thorough investigation and there are no indications of a kidnapping.
An autopsy found that Nóra had likely died of hunger and internal bleeding, but her family lobbied for the investigation, which is expected to continue until December.
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