French prosecutors have reportedly opened an investigation for kidnapping after the disappearance of 15-year-old Nora Quoirin, whose body was found on Tuesday in a Malaysian jungle.
The French-Irish teenager, who has a learning disability, went missing from her bedroom at the Dusun resort in southern Negeri Sembilan state on August 4 in what her parents believed was an abduction.
Police confirmed the discovery on Tuesday and said a body had been found less than a mile from where Nora was reported missing. The discovery came on the tenth day of an intensive search
The Paris prosecutor’s office opened a preliminary investigation on Friday, according to franceinfo.com.
The probe has been entrusted to the Central Office for the Suppression of Violence against Persons and two of their investigators have flown to Malaysia, the publication reports.
Her family’s lawyer in France, Maitre Morel also announced that the parents have filed a complaint for “kidnapping and kidnapping”.
He told Le Parisien that Nora’s parents are convinced her disappearance is of “criminal” origin.
“It is now necessary that the autopsy be performed in the best possible conditions,” he said.
Police had said the teenager, who was born with the brain defect holoprosencephaly, was believed to have climbed out of her resort room window.
But the Quoirins say Nora's condition meant she was not independent and had difficulty walking.
After Nora went missing, they described how she was particularly vulnerable.
Describing her as a "very special person" they said she would not have gone anywhere alone.
Appearing in front of the cameras on Monday, a visibly emotional Mrs Quoirin said: "Nora is our first child.
"She has been vulnerable since the day she was born.
"She is so previous to us and our hearts are breaking."
The French Foreign Minister expressed its sincere condolences to Nora's family.
In a statement on Twitter, written in French, Europe and foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and secretary of state for Europe Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne said: "The French authorities are at the deposition of the Malaysain authorities so that light can be shed on the circumstances of her death."
The National Crime Agency (NCA), the Metropolitan Police and Irish police were also supporting the Malaysian police with the case.
