Missing 15-year-old Nora Quoirin likely starved to death after spending a week in the Malaysian jungle on her own,
police have said. The teenager, who was born with the brain defect holoprosencephaly and was described by her family as "vulnerable", went missing from her room at the Dusun resort on Sunday, August 4. Her naked body was discovered beside a small stream on Tuesday some 1.6 miles away. She had died between two and four days earlier, a post-mortem examination revealed. A police chief told reporters that no evidence of abduction or kidnapping had been uncovered "for the time being". Her devastated family have said their "hearts are broken" and paid tribute to her as "the truest, most precious girl". Nora Quoirin, 15, disappeared from a jungle resort on August 4 Credit: AFP They made an emotional statement, released through missing persons charity the Lucie Blackman Trust, describing how the teenager, who lived in
London, had "truly touched the world". They offered thanks to those involved in the search for the teenager, adding: "Nora has brought people together, especially from
France,
Ireland,
Britain and
Malaysia, united in their love and support for her and her family." Hundreds of people were involved in the search operation and it was volunteer helpers who found the teenager's body. Police chief Mohamad Mat Yusop said that there was no evidence of foul play in Nora's death Credit: Lai Seng Sin/AP Deputy police chief Mazlan Mansor told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday that the body "was not in any clothings" and that the probe was considering all possibilities, including the "angle of criminal investigation". He said the body was found in an area that had previously been searched by rescuers. The update from police on Thursday morning suggested police have now discounted the possibility of kidnap. During the 10-day search, the teenager's parents, Meabh and Sebastien Quoirin, thanked those looking for her, as fundraising pages set up by Nora's aunt and uncle collected more than £100,000 from well-wishers. A book of condolence was opened on Wednesday at the city hall in Belfast, where Mrs Quoirin is from, with Lord Mayor of Belfast John Finucane the first to sign it. A 350-person search party searched for Nora before she was found on Tuesday Credit: MOHD RASFAN/AFP He said the teenager's death was "heart-breaking", and praised the "clear and positive" show of solidarity from the Belfast public. A special service was held on Tuesday at the south Belfast church where Nora was baptised. Her grandparents are parishioners. The head teacher at Nora's school in Wandsworth, south-west London, paid tribute to her as "a delight to work with" and said her fellow pupils and others who knew her will be supported during a difficult time. The Quoirins said Nora's condition meant she was not independent and had difficulty walking. Search crews looking for the teenager played her mother's voice in the dense Malaysian forest near where she disappeared. Police had said Nora, who was travelling on an
Irish passport, was believed to have climbed out of her resort room window.