Parents of UK Student Seek British Police Help in French Drowning Investigation

The parents of a 20-year-old British student who died in a swimming pool in France are urging British police to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death. Holly Woodcock's family has been advised that they can ask UK detectives to intervene in the case, which they feel has been inadequately handled by French authorities.

Lee and Jo Woodcock have spoken with the Metropolitan Police and their Member of Parliament, Daniel Francis, who has written to Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley. They are seeking a new investigation to address unanswered questions about Holly's drowning in August 2024 while on holiday at a friend's family home in St Hilaire-la-Foret, France.

The family's concerns stem from what they describe as a 'lacklustre' French police investigation. According to a report from their French lawyers, no emergency call was made for 14 minutes after Holly's discovery, several witnesses were not interviewed, and forensic samples, including the student's swimming costume, were destroyed. The family has also expressed frustration with the Foreign Office, stating that their pleas for support over the past two years have been unsuccessful.

"We've tried getting the Foreign Office to take action," the parents said. "For the last two years we have engaged and pleaded with the Foreign Office to support our family with no success. Nothing has really happened and we have not had any correspondence from the foreign minister since April."

Following advice, the Woodcocks reported their concerns to the British police. A Metropolitan Police officer assured them that a senior detective would assess the next steps and be in touch. Their MP, Daniel Francis, has also formally written to the Commissioner.

"We hope that a British police intervention - with substantive support from the Foreign Office - will prompt their French counterparts to conduct a much fuller investigation into Holly's death," the parents stated. "We feel we can't just accept what's happened as there are too many unanswered questions."

Because Holly's body was not repatriated, no inquest was opened in the UK. A French post-mortem concluded she had drowned but could not determine the exact cause of death, though a French medical examiner noted that a traumatic cause could not be ruled out. Despite these findings, the local investigation was closed after limited interviews and the post-mortem examination.

Daniel Francis MP raised the case in the House of Commons in June. He commented, "I have the same concerns as the family regarding some aspects of the investigation into Holly's death in France and clearly they still do not have the answers they deserve. If this was your child you would not expect to have the issues, such as evidence being destroyed, discrepancies with timelines and DNA samples being destroyed."

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that an officer had spoken with the Woodcocks and submitted a report on August 25. They stated that after review, it was determined there were no further actions available to them. However, the family claims this assessment has not been communicated to them. The subsequent letter from their MP to the Commissioner is understood to have been received and passed on for consideration.