Nóra Quoirin: Evidence in schoolgirl jungle death inquest ends
The inquest into the death of a London schoolgirl found dead on holiday in a Malaysian jungle has finished hearing evidence.
Nóra Quoirin, 15, was discovered dead nine days after she went missing from an eco-resort in August 2019. Coroner Maimoonah Aid said she had enough evidence to make a verdict after hearing from 47 witnesses over 24 non-consecutive days. She said her verdict would be delivered on either 31 December or 4 January. Nóra, from Balham, south-west London, was born with holoprosencephaly, a disorder that affects brain development. She was discovered near a stream on a palm-oil plantation close to the jungle resort where her family had been staying. Investigating officer Insp Wan Faridah Mustanin was the final person to give evidence at the inquest in Dusan, Malaysia. The 30-year-old was on duty the morning Nóra was reported missing at 08:30 local time. Insp Mustanin took statements from Nóra's family before checking the house where they were staying. He said: "I examined the open window and found that the open gap was big enough for an adult to pass through and I found that that the window did not have a latch." Insp Mustanin admitted when officers first arrived at the scene of the family's resort, Sora House, the area was not taped off. But, he disagreed that the window could have been contaminated by "other guests". The following day Insp Mustanin said images of Nóra were emailed to Interpol and a request was made to get fingerprints and medical records. He told the inquest that in the days that followed, Nóra's family were "reluctant" to meet with him and communicated "directly" with another officer. Insp Mustanin said he was confident there were no criminal elements involved in Nora's disappearance, adding there was a possibility she may have "wanted to go to the toilet" and became "confused" by the house she was staying in. "Then, maybe, because of her nature, [she] may have been lost in a jungle area," he added. The inquest continues.