KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 15 — Two French deputies are pressing Malaysian authorities to either reinvestigate the death of Irish teen Nora Anne Quoirin or to provide the findings of their previous investigation to her family.
In a statement released by a publicist acting for the Quoirins, French Deputies Anne Genetet and Alexandre Holroyd asked Attorney General Tan Sri Tommy Thomas to reverse the “No Further Action (NFA)” classification in the case of the 15-year-old who died in the Negri Sembilan jungle after she went missing while on a family vacation there last.
The deputies are members of the French legislature and comparable to members of parliament.
“It is imperative and a fundamental right that Nora’s family should have access to the truth concerning their daughter’s death either through the reopening of the investigation — or at the very least by making the police report (such as it exists) on the investigation that took place in the summer, available — in order to effectively grieve and mourn her loss,” said the two French lawmakers.
They asserted that despite several months of continued appeal from the Quoirin family, Malaysian authorities remained uncooperative and have refused all communications and requests for information over their daughter’s death.
They further criticised local law enforcement for bypassing the family and their lawyers, instead choosing to make announcements via the media.
On January 8, the Attorney General’s Chambers classified the Franco-Irish teenager’s case as requiring no further action, effectively closing it until new developments emerge.
Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Huzir Mohamed said this was based on the earlier report that had classified the case as a sudden death.
However, Genetet and Holroyd claimed the police were prioritising their preferred narrative and neglecting other hypotheses over Quoirin’s cause of death.
“Instead, it is clear the authorities have prioritised the theory of an accidental death, and in doing so, are neglecting the investigation into alternative hypotheses considered extremely important for the family.
“In addition, internal proceedings under Malaysian law could have reopened the investigation, but the attorney general has to date refused, and allocated a status of NFA (No Further Action) on this case.
“Anne Genetet and Alexandre Holroyd, like the family, do not understand why the Malaysian judicial authorities refuse to disseminate the investigation’s findings and indeed consider alternatives.
“We await a reversal of this position in order to deliver full transparency and justice in this matter and for the tragedy this family has experienced,” said the joint statement.
