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The caravan and tent used by the family while on holiday at the Le Solitare du Lac campsite Chris Ison/PA Wire

Family of girls who survived Alps shooting arrive in France

Seven-year-old Zainab remains in a medically induced coma after being shot and badly beaten in the attack.

RELATIVES OF THE two girls who survived the shooting of a British family in the Alps arrived in France today as police prepared to search the victims’ home in Britain for clues to the unexplained murders.

“Members of the family arrived in France last night, a man and a woman, accompanied by a British social worker,” prosecutor Eric Maillaud told AFP.

He said he did not know which of the couple was directly related to the children and it was not clear when exactly they would be able to see the youngest of the survivors, four-year-old Zeena al-Hilli.

“I don’t know when they will be able to see the little girl. We have to be sure it can be done without problems,” he said.

He said meetings would be “systematically” carried out in the presence of French investigators.

Zeena has been in the care of French authorities since the brutal attack on Wednesday, which saw Saad al-Hilli, a 50-year-old naturalised Briton born in Iraq, his wife Ikbal and his 74-year-old mother-in-law gunned down as they sat in their car in a forest car park in an Alpine tourist area.

Their seven-year-old daughter Zainab was left for dead and remains in a medically induced coma after being shot and badly beaten in the attack.

Zeena hid undetected for eight hours under her dead mother’s skirts and escaped physically unscathed.

A local man, 45-year-old Sylvain Mollier, was also killed after apparently stumbling on the shooting.

Maillaud said that French investigators who had travelled to Britain to probe the killing would question Hilli’s brother, who has already presented himself before British police to deny reports that he had a financial dispute with his brother.

“Obviously the brother will be questioned,” he said, adding that “all those who knew the victims will be questioned.”

Investigators have been unable to obtain much useful information from traumatised Zeena are hoping Zainab can provide some clues once she emerges from her coma.

Autopsies were concluded overnight Saturday, Maillaud said, but the results were not yet being released. Authorities were due to speak to journalists later Saturday.

British police forensics officers meanwhile prepared to enter the family’s home in Claygate in Surrey, a quiet commuter village some 15 miles (25 kilometres) southwest of London.

The operation, which a French police source said would take more than a day, was expected to be carried out jointly with French gendarmes who flew to London on yesterday.

The source told AFP the search would begin after a strategy session in which the French investigators would also be briefed by British counterparts on local procedures.

Meanwhile Italian and Swiss police were assisting the French as they hunt for the killer or killers behind the brutal murders.

“Italy is an hour and a half away, Switzerland an hour away. Investigators have asked for help of all neighbouring countries,” Maillaud said.

The family were killed in their British-registered BMW estate car in a forest car park near the village of Chevaline in the picturesque Haute-Savoie region around Lake Annecy.

Each had been shot multiple times, including at least once in the head. About 25 spent bullet casings were found near the vehicle and police have said they suspect more than one shooter may have been involved.

A former British Royal Air Force pilot who was the first to arrive on the murder scene as he was bicycling by reported seeing a green or other dark-coloured four-wheel drive vehicle speed away from the scene.

- (c) AFP 2012

Read: Alps shooting: Brother denies involvement as police search for clues>

French president vows to find killers of British family>

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    Mute Carlin Ite
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    Apr 13th 2014, 7:05 PM

    96fm in cork have a great poster campaign at the moment saying “don’t play with the knob” printed beside a pic of a radio. It’s taking a stab at Neil Prendeville moving to red fm

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    Mute Mary Kavanagh
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    Apr 13th 2014, 8:00 PM

    Great pun there, Carlin.

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    Mute Gerry Ryan deG
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    Apr 13th 2014, 9:43 PM

    Of course that’s just a coincidence but he was playing with something again when he Pulled The Plug(boom boom) on a star much bigger than himself in a fit of jealousy against his former employer who saved his career when he was just another plonker with a lame excuse.

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    Mute Hank Schrader
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    Apr 13th 2014, 6:48 PM

    3 million people in France probably will indeed think it’s an ad for a bikini because they probably can’t read the English of the ad..

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    Mute Begrudgy
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    Apr 13th 2014, 7:29 PM

    Anyone else zoom in on that picture just to make sure.

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    Mute Mark Byrne
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    Apr 13th 2014, 8:02 PM

    Yup

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    Mute brains for rocks
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    Apr 13th 2014, 10:25 PM

    There was writing?

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    Mute Mary Kavanagh
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    Apr 13th 2014, 6:46 PM

    Thanks Sinead. Some good ones in there.

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    Mute RE 3
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    Apr 13th 2014, 7:59 PM

    Couldn’t agree with ye more!!

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    Mute RE 3
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    Apr 13th 2014, 7:59 PM

    What’s hung up on the tree in the one for the obese patients?

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    Mute me so harney
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    Apr 13th 2014, 8:06 PM

    A games console

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    Mute RE 3
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    Apr 13th 2014, 8:09 PM

    Ah cheers!

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    Mute Q8K9dOAu
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    Apr 13th 2014, 8:21 PM

    DHL ad is good, but the person is reading the mag back-to-front?
    Marketing actor fail.

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    Mute Daisy Chainsaw
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    Apr 13th 2014, 10:28 PM

    Probably Chinese/Japanese. They read right to left.

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    Mute Mike O Neill
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    Apr 13th 2014, 11:00 PM

    Neither of those are right to left.

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    Mute Anne Flaherty
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    Apr 13th 2014, 11:06 PM

    The listerine ad is a typical scene of mass every Sunday, al down the back afraid of the priest

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    Mute art vandelay
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    Apr 13th 2014, 7:00 PM
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    Mute davey p
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    Apr 13th 2014, 8:28 PM

    That man is one of the greats, you have me wanting to watch one of his gigs now

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    Mute Heliolight
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    Apr 13th 2014, 10:10 PM

    The wrestling one is the best one. The rest are only ok.

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    Mute business
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    Apr 14th 2014, 6:57 AM

    I can’t see any of those photos on my phone :(

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