Mossos d’Esquadra have arrested a 28-year-old woman for allegedly performing cosmetic surgery operations without the necessary qualifications, using private apartments and temporary accommodation. The investigation indicates that the suspect may have offered these procedures in Alicante, Valencia and Barcelona, and the Catalan police do not rule out the existence of further victims.
The arrest took place on 22nd October in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, after a woman had to receive hospital assistance for injuries suffered after undergoing a full liposuction in an apartment in this town.
The arrested person is under investigation for alleged offences of injury, professional intrusion and offences against public health. Officers are keeping enquiries open to clarify the scope of her activity and to locate other possible affected parties.
A liposuction for 670€ that ended in hospital
The events that triggered the investigation date back to 20th September, when a primary care emergency centre in Barcelona alerted Mossos d’Esquadra to the situation of a patient.
The woman explained that during the early hours of the previous morning she had undergone liposuction and subsequent fat infiltration into her glutes in an apartment in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat. According to her testimony, she had contacted the person offering these treatments during July and had made several payments for the procedure.
The police investigation made it possible to verify that she had paid a total of 670€ through transfers to different accounts and people related to the suspect’s circle.
However, after the operation, the patient stated that she did not receive the medication or the subsequent follow-up that had been promised to her. Furthermore, she was unable to get in touch with the person who had performed the procedure. Her state of health made it necessary to transfer her from the emergency centre to a hospital.
Wounds, bruising and the beginning of an infection
Medical documentation examined by investigators reflected that the victim presented multiple wounds in different areas of the body, extensive bruising and injuries compatible with the onset of an infection. These complications led the Mossos to investigate the circumstances in which the intervention had been carried out and the conditions of the property utilised.
The enquiries made it possible to link the suspect to the apartment where the liposuction was allegedly performed.
Furthermore, officers were unable to verify that the woman had the academic qualifications or the professional authorisation necessary to perform this type of surgical intervention. The investigated person appeared voluntarily at police headquarters on 22 October, the date on which she was arrested.
Suspicions of similar interventions in Alicante and Valencia
One of the aspects now focusing the investigation is the possible activity of the detainee outside of Barcelona. According to Mossos d’Esquadra, there are indications that the woman offered similar cosmetic treatments in Alicante and Valencia, in addition to the Catalan capital. To do this, she supposedly utilised temporary accommodation in different cities, where she performed the interventions without having the necessary professional authorisations.
The Catalan police continue investigating to determine whether more interventions were performed and to locate other possible injured parties.
