KUALA LUMPUR – It is not unusual for a child with a disorder similar to the late Irish-French teenager Nora Anne Quoirin, whose death was ruled as having been caused by “misadventure”, to wander off alone, said an expert.
This is because those with holoprosencephaly, which Nora Anne had, usually have intellectual disabilities due to abnormalities in brain development.
Given this, consultant psychiatrist Dr G.S. Grewal told The Vibes, people with such disorders are at a higher risk of the said misadventure if they are left on their own.
“It is certainly possible for a child with such a disorder to wander off and subsequently be unable to find their way back and get lost in the woods, for instance.
“In view of having some degree of intellectual disability, it is also certainly likely that they can’t remember the way back, more so if the place is unfamiliar and new to them.”
Nora Anne, 15, went missing on August 4, 2019, a day after she and her family arrived in Malaysia for a two-week vacation at The Dusun resort in Negri Sembilan.
Her body was found over a week later, on August 13, near a creek in a ravine 2.5km from the resort, following a massive search-and-rescue operation.
A preliminary post-mortem found that her death had no criminal elements, and she was confirmed to have died from gastrointestinal bleeding due to prolonged hunger and stress.
During the inquest into Nora Anne’s death, Nilai district police chief Mohd Nor Marzukee Besar said the teen was able to walk normally, based on CCTV footage obtained from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, when she arrived in the country on August 3, 2019.
On January 4 this year, the Seremban coroner’s court announced that her death was the result of misadventure, and ruled out any third-party involvement.
Asked if special-needs children like Nora Anne are always dependent on their guardians, Dr Grewal said this depends on the severity of their disorder, adding that they may require assistance in some areas of functioning.
Other than intellectual disabilities, he said, people with holoprosencephaly also usually have abnormal temperature, respiration and heart-rate regulation. – The Vibes, January 11, 2020
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