Photocredit: New Straits Times
This pretty and happy girl is Nurin. She is eight years old and has two sisters. On August 20th this year, she went to the night market which was just a 100 m from her home. She disappeared.
For the last month, her parents have left no stone unturned in their efforts to find her. In fact, her case has galvanised people from all segments of the community to do what they can; from helping to distribute posters of the missing child to raising money as rewards for information leading to her being found.
As I mentioned in my previous post, last Monday a body of a young child was found stuffed in a sports bag that had been left in a stairwell. The police called Nurin's parents to identify the body. To everyone's relief, Nurin's father emerged from the morgue to announce that the dead girl was not his daughter and asked that efforts to find Nurin continue unabated. The girl in the morgue remained unidentified and unclaimed.
This sad story took an unexpected twist with a nasty sting in its tail. Yesterday, the police announced that DNA tests had confirmed that the dead girl was indeed Nurin. The parents could not accept the news. My heart broke as I read his reported statement in the newspapers, “I am Nurin’s father...I know my daughter better than anyone else. My heart is saying the body is not my daughter."
Sadly, the DNA evidence seems to be quite conclusive. Finally, today, the parents agreed to receive the body for burial. Pictures were circulated in the newspapers of the body but I have chosen not to reproduce them. I want this post to have the image of Nurin being happy.
Nurin had been missing for almost a month. During which she was abused and tortured and had bruises all over her body. She had lost a lot of weight and appeared gaunt. Her murderers had shaved part of her hair off. Her teeth appear large because death had caused her lips to become thin and taut. These may be the reasons why Nurin's parents did not recognise her.
Of course, it is said that the first stage of grief is often denial. Perhaps there was an element of that here with the parents not willing to recognise that battered body as their daughter's because with that comes the end of hope.
Now all we can do is offer our condolences and prayers to Nurin and her family and hope the police will be able to apprehend her killers and to give her justice.
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12 comments:
The horror of what some human beings will do to a child is incomprehensible. I can't grasp it.
My nephew (10 years old) was killed last month when he was swept away by rushing storm water. In death, he didn't look like himself either. When the soul leaves, so does the familiarity. This is a hard post to read.
so sad...hard to even believe things like this can happen..Where is God when this happens?
Perhaps the healing process can now start for the parents since closure seems apparent from the DNA. May Nurin now rest in peace and may her family be able to move on slowly and surely.
The cynic in me has to ask, is it possible the parents were enjoying their "fame" and didn't want it to end? I know it's an awful thought, but I had it. I'd like to think they were just in denial. But denying the DNA evidence? That seems to be pushing it. Poor sweet little girl. She is in a better place.
tsduff,
I am sorry about your nephew. Losing a young one is always extremely hard to go through.
I had a friend who was suffering from bipolar depression and during an episode she ended up driving into a back of a lorry and was killed. When I viewed the body, the same thought came to mind i.e. when the soul leaves, so does the familiarity. This body has been discarded but the soul has gone to a better place. I wish you peace.
ruth,
Even when things like this happens, I believe God is there and He weeps with us. However, if man is to have free choice, then man can choose evil and there is always a consequence and a victim of this evil. Where was God when they crucified Jesus? He was there and He allowed it to happen so that the world could have a chance of escaping the penalty of sin and returning to a loving relationship with Him. The glory of God is that He can fashion something wonderful out of tragedy.
janice,
Your wishes for the family and Nurin should be all our wishes too.
geewits,
I understand your cynicism but can only hope that it isn't the case. The parents finally buried the body this morning and the father finally broke down and cried. Perhaps the healing can now start.
I could understand the father not wishing to believe it was his daughter. Those poor parents. She was such a beautiful child in life. I am sure her soul is beautiful, & at least she suffers no more.
What a sweet little girl. Sad that there are monsters in the world who prey on such innocence. My heart goes out to her poor parents....
meggie & molly,
Indeed, she is at rest now and we hope that her family can find healing and closure. And that they will get the justice they desire.
Poor Nurin. May she and her family be at peace. It is very sad.
SAD.
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