Dutch woman files lawsuit over fatal cosmetic surgery

ISTANBUL

The mother of a Dutch woman who died in Istanbul two days after undergoing a Brazilian butt lift and tummy tuck operation has filed a lawsuit against the doctor and hospital, seeking 404,000 liras in compensation.

Mother Julie Ann Hari filed the case for “negligent homicide” and “negligent manslaughter,” claiming her daughter Tamara Celeste Tuinfort showed signs of distress, such as swollen neck and discolored skin, which were allegedly ignored by medical staff.

Tuinfort’s condition reportedly deteriorated post-surgery, leading to her death.

Hari asserts that the doctor delayed attending to her daughter and that the hospital staff failed to provide timely and adequate care.

Hari's lawyers Bahadır Erbaş and Cemre Yılmaz Akyay stated in their petition to the court that Tuinfort's body was sent to the Netherlands without an autopsy.

"The client, whose psychology deteriorated due to the death of her daughter at a young age, took care of her three underage grandchildren. The client moved from her own home to her grandchildren and worked for an elderly care company in order to take care of her grandchildren. The client has suffered both financial and moral devastation," the petition further said.

The prosecutor’s office has referred the case to the Forensic Medicine Institute to determine the exact cause of death.

The hospital management maintains there were no complications during the surgery and that the doctor was informed of her condition promptly.

The lawyer of the doctor who performed the surgery requested the lawsuit be dismissed and said in his reply to the lawsuit, “We do not accept the allegation that the doctor arrived at the hospital one and a half hours late. The doctor has no fault in Tuinfort's death."