KUALA LUMPUR: The family of a Dutch model who fell to her death from a condominium here last week has initiated a fundraising campaign to ‘determine her cause of death.’
The naked body of Ivana Esther Robert Smit, 18, was found on the balcony of a sixth floor-unit of the highrise, located off Jalan Dang Wangi, on Dec 7.
She had fallen from the 20th floor of the condo while she is believed to have been intoxicated following a night of partying with an American couple at an entertainment outlet in Bangsar.
Police had initially classified the case as sudden death, but are re-examining the case after Smit’s family alleged that criminal elements were present in the incident.
The family began the crowdfunding campaign to raise €5,000 (approximately RM24,078) to fly in a Dutch pathologist and an American researcher to conduct a second autopsy on the body.
"Donations are needed to fund the (trips and payments for the) pathologist and researcher, who (will) determine… if (the death) was an accident or a crime.
“Please help the Smit family to find out the true facts (of) the tragic death of our daughter, sister and niece, Ivana Smit,” the family wrote on the Dutch Doneeractie site.
As of 1pm on Friday, they have raised € 4,355 from 133 donors.
Ivana’ father, Marcel Smit, told Dutch newspapers that it is unlikely that Smit had accidentally fallen off the balcony of the condominium unit, as the balcony railing is 1.21m high, while his daughter was 1.81m tall.
Her family also claimed that Smit had marks and bruises on her neck which resemble fingerprints.
According to the DutchNews portal, CCTV footage from the apartment’s lobby show Smit entering the building with her American hosts at around 5am. She is believed to have fallen off the balcony at around 10am.
"Her last communication was a selfie sent to her boyfriend at around 7.25am, in which she said she had gone home with an American couple after a night out," the report said.