Appeals court quashes RM1.1m damages over Ivana Smit death probe

The Court of Appeal in Kuala Lumpur overturned a High Court decision requiring the government and police to pay RM1.1 million to the mother of Dutch model Ivana Smit, citing investigative failures related to Smit's 2017 death.

Muniandy clarified that police are not obligated to an actionable private law duty of care to individual complainants or relatives in investigations.

The judgment emphasized maintaining the separation of powers, asserting that supervision of police investigations belongs to executive functions rather than judicial intervention.

The High Court's previous directives regarding police operations were deemed overreaches.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 14 — The Court of Appeal has overturned a High Court ruling ordering the government and police to pay RM1.1 million in damages to the mother of Dutch model Ivana Smit over alleged investigative failures following her 2017 death.

A three-judge bench chaired by Justice Datuuk Zaini Mazlan unanimously allowed the government's appeal, setting aside all general, aggravated, and exemplary damages, alongside mandatory operational directives, FMT reported.

Delivering the judgment grounds, Justice K. Muniandy ruled that police do not owe an actionable private law duty of care to individual complainants or bereaved relatives regarding the conduct of investigations.

“While law enforcement authorities owe duties to the public at large, this does not automatically translate into a private law duty of care to individual complainants or their relatives,” he said.

Muniandy added that the High Court exceeded its judicial remit by directing police personnel assignments and supervisory procedures, noting: “The supervision and direction of police investigations fall within the executive and prosecutorial functions, and the courts must respect the separation of powers,”.

Last year, the High Court awarded Smit's mother, Christina Verstappen, RM1.1 million in total damages, removed the lead investigating officer, and ordered quarterly progress reports to prosecutors.

Smit, 18, was found dead after falling from a 20th-floor condominium unit at CapSquare Residence in Kuala Lumpur on Dec 7, 2017. While an inquest initially ruled misadventure, the High Court later reclassified the death as caused by person or persons unknown.

Verstappen's counsel, S.N. Nair, expressed deep disappointment with the outcome, stating that the legal team would evaluate applying for leave to appeal to the Federal Court.

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吉隆坡上诉法院推翻了高等法院的一项裁决，该裁决要求政府和警方向荷兰模特伊万娜·史密特的母亲支付 110 万令吉，理由是与史密特 2017 年死亡事件相关的调查失职。

穆尼亚迪澄清说，警方在调查中没有义务对个人投诉人或其亲属承担可诉的私人法律注意义务。

判决强调要维护权力分立，并断言对警察调查的监督属于行政职能，而不是司法干预。

高等法院之前关于警方行动的指令被认为是越权行为。

吉隆坡，10 月 14 日讯——上诉法院推翻了高等法院的一项裁决，该裁决命令政府和警方向荷兰模特伊万娜·史密特的母亲支付 110 万令吉的赔偿金，原因是据称在她 2017 年去世后调查不力。

据 FMT 报道，由 Datuuk Zaini Mazlan 法官主持的三名法官组成的合议庭一致支持政府的上诉，撤销了所有一般性、加重性、惩罚性赔偿以及强制性操作指令。

在宣判理由时，K. Muniandy 法官裁定，警方在调查过程中对个人投诉人或死者家属不负有可诉的私人法律注意义务。

他说：“虽然执法部门对广大公众负有责任，但这并不意味着执法部门自动对个别投诉人或其亲属负有私人法律上的注意义务。”

穆尼亚迪补充说，高等法院通过指导警务人员的分配和监督程序，超越了其司法权限，并指出：“对警方调查的监督和指导属于行政和检察职能的范畴，法院必须尊重权力分立。”

去年，高等法院判决斯密特的母亲克里斯蒂娜·维斯塔潘获得总计 110 万令吉的赔偿金，撤换了首席调查官，并命令检察官每季度提交进度报告。

2017 年 12 月 7 日，18 岁的斯密特从吉隆坡 CapSquare Residence 公寓 20 楼坠亡。虽然最初的调查裁定为意外事故，但高等法院后来将死因重新定性为由身份不明的人造成。

维斯塔潘的律师SN Nair对结果表示深感失望，并表示律师团队将评估是否申请向联邦法院提起上诉。

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