The parents of an Irish teenager, who had been missing since Aug 4, confirmed that a naked body found yesterday in the Seremban jungle was that of their 15-year-old daughter.
The body of Nora Anne Quoirin was found at 1.57pm, at a stream in a ravine just 2km away from The Dusun eco-resort where she and her family had been staying.
Deputy police chief Mazlan Mansor told a news conference the body was found by a group of hikers who were registered as volunteers in the massive search. He added that the area had previously been covered by the search and rescue team.
"The area is quite hilly and we sent our forensics team and pathologist to the scene of the crime. (They) confirmed there was a body there which resembled Nora," he said.
He was unable to say how many days the body had been there and if there were any visible injuries.
The body was flown by helicopter to Tuanku Jaafar Hospital.
Negeri Sembilan police chief Mohamad Mat Yusop told reporters that the parents had positively identified the remains of their eldest daughter.
Datuk Mohamad added that the body was found in the Berembun mountains.
The Lucie Blackman Trust, a foundation that supports families of British citizens who are missing or killed abroad, said yesterday that it "can confirm with great sadness that the body found... is that of missing teenager Nora Quoirin. Local police have confirmed identification".
The Quoirin family, who lives in London, had checked into the eco-resort in the dense tropical forest in Negeri Sembilan, some 50km from Kuala Lumpur, on Aug 3 for a two-week holiday.
The next morning, the family discovered that Nora was not in the bedroom which she shared with her younger siblings.
Nora, who holds an Irish passport, has learning difficulties. She was born with holoprosencephaly, a rare congenital brain malformation.
Her father Sebastien Marie Philipe is French and her mother Meabh Quoirin is Irish.
Nora's mother said on Monday: "Nora is our first child. She has been vulnerable since the day she was born. She is so precious to us and our hearts are breaking."
The girl's family had offered a reward of RM50,000 (S$16,500) for information leading to her return.
Nearly 350 personnel were involved in the search and rescue efforts. Members of the Orang Asli's special Senoi Praaq unit and elite 69 Commando unit of the Royal Malaysian Police were deployed.
Helicopters and drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras were also used in the search.
Police officers from Britain, France and Ireland helped the Malaysian police in the investigation, but were not involved in the search and rescue operation, national news agency Bernama reported on Monday.
Traditional healers also went into the jungle and performed rituals as part of efforts to find the teen.
