30-9-2024 (KUALA LUMPUR) The mother of a young Dutch model who tragically lost her life in Kuala Lumpur is set to face Malaysian authorities in court. The lawsuit, which alleges negligence and breaches of duty in the investigation of the model’s death, is scheduled to proceed to trial on 14 October after attempts at settlement failed.
Christina Verstappen, mother of the late Ivana Smit, 18, has filed a suit against the Malaysian police, Home Ministry, and government, claiming that the investigation into her daughter’s death in December 2017 was mishandled. The case, which has been the subject of intense scrutiny and speculation, is now poised to unfold in the Malaysian High Court.
Judicial Commissioner Roz Mawar Rozain announced that the trial would be conducted via video conference, allowing Verstappen to testify from the Netherlands. The decision came after both parties were unable to reach an out-of-court settlement, as revealed during a recent court session.
Federal counsel Anis Najwa Nazari, representing the defendants, informed the court that while the plaintiff’s lawyer had proposed a settlement in August, the terms were not agreeable to the defendants. Consequently, the case will proceed to trial as scheduled.
The plaintiff’s legal representative, Datuk S.N. Nair, stated that he intends to call seven witnesses, including three from the Netherlands. The court has allocated 18 days for the trial, spanning October and November.
At the heart of the lawsuit are allegations of negligence and breaches of statutory duties in the investigation of Ivana Smit’s death. The young model was found deceased on the sixth floor of a Kuala Lumpur residence on 7 December 2017, having apparently fallen from a 20th-floor condominium unit.
Verstappen’s suit contends that police failed to properly secure the crime scene, conduct a thorough investigation into the American couple who owned the condominium unit, and ensure their presence as key witnesses during the inquest.
The case has already seen significant legal developments. In March 2019, a coroner’s court ruled Smit’s death as “misadventure”. However, following an appeal by Verstappen, the Kuala Lumpur High Court overturned this verdict in November 2019, replacing it with a ruling of “death by a person or persons unknown”.
