Granddad: We feel cheated out of the truth
GEORGE TOWN: The family of Ivana Esther Robert Smit, the Dutch model who was found dead on the sixth floor of a condominium in Kuala Lumpur in 2017, is hoping for justice from the legal system.
Her 79-year-old grandfather, Hendrik Smit, said they wanted the court to classify Ivana’s death as a “crime” and see the culprits responsible for it punished.
However, he said, with the “holes” in the evidence collected by investigators, he feared that it would be impossible.
“Right now, we feel cheated out of the truth of what really happened. There is so much missing from the evidence.
“We find ourselves losing faith in the Malaysian justice system,” he told the New Straits Times at his house.
Smit admitted that despite the plan to seek a revision of the recent Coroner’s Court decision that classified Ivana’s death as “misadventure”, the family was not confident that they would get a favourable verdict.
“We are not happy about the decision, but what can we do?
“The only way we can see a difference is if the two persons who were last seen with Ivana are brought to court.”
Ivana’s naked body was found on the balcony of a sixth floor unit of a condominium building located off Jalan Dang Wangi in Kuala Lumpur on Dec 7, 2017.
At that time, she was reported to have fallen from the 20th floor while intoxicated following a night of partying with a couple at an entertainment outlet in Bangsar.
The couple — American businessman, Alex Johnson, 44, and his 31-year-old Kazakh wife, Luna — admitted having sex with Ivana three weeks earlier and on the day she was found dead, but maintained that they had no knowledge of her death.
Coroner Mahyon Talib was reported to have rapped the investigating officer, Assistant Superintendent Faizal Abdullah, saying that he could have done a better job by reclassifying the case from a sudden death report (SDR) and opening an investigation paper (IP) on her death sooner.
Mahyon also ticked off pathologist Dr Nurliza Abdullah in her decision last week, for failing to visit the scene, but instead assuming Ivana’s cause of death based on pictures of the scene provided by the police.
Ivana had lived with Smit and his wife, Ho Sione Tjoan, 78, in Malaysia for 15 years, moving from Holland to Penang in 2002, when she was aged just 3.
“Ivana went back after she graduated from Grade 10 of an international school here and she was very unhappy during the two years she was in Holland.
“So that’s why her father sent part of her ashes back to Malaysia, where she was happy.”
He said he and his wife had been strict with Ivana when she was growing up.
“I drove her everywhere, from school to ballet, music and taekwondo classes. We allowed her freedom but within limits.”
Smit said, while living in Holland, Ivana had more freedom and developed a habit for recreational drugs, which they believed she picked up from a boyfriend.
“Ivana probably took drugs, which could have made her behave weirdly. However, there are still suspicious circumstances...”
Smit said there would never be closure until they find out what actually transpired.
“Her death has left a gaping wound and a hole in our lives. We miss her so much that I have thought about adopting a child.
“Our world revolved around Ivana.”