Asia-Pacific News
Relatives of missing French family in Cambodia file case
Jan 17, 2012, 9:49 GMT
Phnom Penh - Relatives of a French family, whose bodies may have been found inside a submerged car in Cambodia, have filed a case in the French judicial system, an embassy official said Tuesday.
Human body parts thought to belong to the family were pulled from the vehicle on Saturday. The car was found in a pond near the home of missing French national Laurent Vallier in Cambodia's Kampong Speu province, but formal identifications had not yet been made.
Vallier disappeared in September along with his four children, reported by local media as two boys and two girls aged 2 to 11.
Dominique Mas, an official at the French embassy, confirmed Tuesday that relatives of the family had filed a case in France.
If accepted, it could pave the way for a French judge to be provided with information about the investigation or to request that specific investigations be made in Cambodia.
'It is up to the national authorities to enforce national laws and up to the national police and justice to carry out investigations on their own territory,' said Mas.
'But we are keen to provide them with any assistance or technical expertise. We are currently discussing this matter with them.'
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