Johannesburg - A US mother and daughter have been prosecuted this week on murder charges following the death of a South African woman who underwent an illegal operation for a butt lift in Los Angeles.
Karissa Rajpaul, 26, received three separate operations and died immediately after the third procedure in October 2020, the Daily Mail reported.
At the time, she shared a video of herself to social media during one of the operations, which was meant to help her with her work in the adult film industry after moving to California from South Africa.
The operation took place in a private home in the Encino neighbourhood of Los Angeles in September 2020. According to the UK publication, American police said that Libby Adame, 52, and Alicia Galaz, who is in her mid-twenties, were not trained or licensed in any way to perform these operations.
“These individuals have no medical training,” the Daily Mail quoted LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton as saying. “They're not experienced and they're putting people's lives at risk.”
The UK publication added that authorities were worried that there could be more victims of the pair’s lawless procedures.
“As we looked into this investigation, we did find that it is occurring a lot,” Detective Bob Dinlocker said.
“The internet is filled with these horror stories where they're cutting the medical grade silicone with the stuff that you would caulk your windows with,” quotes the Daily Mail.
Dinlocker added that some of the chemicals that the duo use weren’t intended to be used on humans, and can attack your heart, brain or kidneys.
The detective says Adame and Galaz would take supplies to private houses with no regard for typical standards and practices.
If anything went wrong, Dinlocker alleges that the suspects would disappear, leaving paramedics to arrive at an unknown medical emergency, the Daily Mail reported.
“I have seen patients like this,” Board Certified Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Dr AJ Khalil was quoted as saying.
He added that injecting liquified silicon into the buttocks was not only illegal, but that it could be deadly.
“There are implants that go in the buttocks, but they're solid,” Khalil said, adding that even those types of implants weren't a common practice. But as for injecting liquified silicon – which he says is often mixed with motor oil – it is against the law.
People seek out treatments from less reputable sources because of the lower prices that professionals would charge.
The Daily Mail also reported that Adame and Galaz charged Rajpaul $3 500 to $4 000 (between R53 700 and R61 350) for her operation, whereas a board-certified butt lift would run her anywhere from $10 000 to $15 000 (from R153 00 to R230 000), according to NBC4.