The devastated parents of 20-year-old British student Holly Woodcock are calling for a thorough investigation into their daughter’s tragic death, which occurred two years ago during a holiday in France.

Holly was found lifeless at the bottom of a swimming pool at her friend’s holiday villa in St Hilaire-la-Foret, western France, in the early hours of August 2, 2024, following a party with friends.

An inquest ruled that drowning was the most likely cause of death but noted that the “exact cause” could not be determined and that a “traumatic cause of death” had not been ruled out. French authorities closed the case after just one week.

Holly’s parents, Lee and Joanna Woodcock, have written to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer demanding a proper probe, citing numerous flaws in the original investigation. Key concerns include:

• It took 14 minutes to call emergency services after Holly was discovered in the pool.
• Police failed to question all witnesses, review CCTV footage, or examine videos from partygoers’ phones.
• No blood samples were taken to test Holly’s alcohol levels.
• Potential evidence, including DNA samples, was reportedly destroyed or not properly handled.
• Discrepancies in timelines.

Joanna Woodcock, 57, told the Daily Mail that her daughter’s shorts were found neatly folded by the pool — something she believes a heavily intoxicated person wouldn’t do. Photos taken just 30 minutes before the incident showed Holly happily dancing in the kitchen.

At around 1am, Holly and friends decided to go swimming. A friend messaged her at 1:25am with no reply, and she was found at the bottom of the pool at 1:30am. Paramedics briefly revived a heartbeat, but she was pronounced dead at 3:09am.

Lee Woodcock, 55, expressed deep frustration: “We will never get over this, but we won’t get closure until this has been properly investigated… I can’t bear the thought of living out the rest of my days not knowing if one of, or some of the people present that evening had done something.”

The couple’s MP, Daniel Francis, has also backed their calls for answers, highlighting serious issues with the investigation.

The UK Foreign Office confirmed it is supporting the family, with Minister for Europe Stephen Doughty speaking to them directly. However, the family feels more must be done to ensure a full and fair inquiry.

Holly was studying English and multimedia journalism at Manchester Metropolitan University. Her parents say they simply want justice and the truth about what happened to their daughter on what should have been a fun holiday.

This heartbreaking case continues to raise questions about how drowning incidents involving British nationals abroad are handled.