Police in Malaysia investigating the disappearance of teenager Nora Quoirin are not treating it as abduction, they said this morning.
Nora, who has learning difficulties, was reported missing on Sunday at 8am by her father after he went into her room and couldn’t find her at their eco-resort near Seremban.
The 15-year-old’s window had been opened.
It was initially reported that her disappearance was being treated as abduction, but a police chief has since said this is not the case.
Che Zakaria Othman told Malay Mail : “The case is still classified as missing persons. Not abduction.”
However a spokesman from the Lucie Blackman Trust, speaking on behalf of the family, said they are seeking clarification.
They told Mirror Online that the “family directly asked police whether they were treating it as an abduction or a missing persons case – they were told quite clearly police were treating it as both.”
They added: “The family strongly believe criminal activity is involved.”
In an earlier statement, the charity said: “The family of missing 15-year old London schoolgirl, Nóra Quoirin, appealed today for help in locating her. Nóra, who has special needs, is the daughter of an Irish-French couple.
“The family have been living in London for around 20 years. Nóra disappeared while on a holiday with her family at The Dusan resort in a nature reserve near Seremban, 63 km south of Kuala Lumper, Malaysia.
“Her father raised the alarm when he discovered her missing from her bedroom at 8 am local time on Sunday, 4 August. Her window had been opened.”
More than 100 people, as well as sniffer dogs, are involved in the search.
Officers have been combing acres of land, a dense jungle and surrounding villages.
The resort says it is “extremely distressed and worried”.
Resident Nikt Wong, 48, said it is usually hikers who go missing after losing their way in the jungle but it is not an easy task to locate them.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/breaking-police-say-brit-teen-18830425