Finnish influencer Olivia Oras has died aged 27 after losing consciousness during anaesthesia before a cosmetic procedure in Helsinki, with police now investigating the circumstances surrounding her death under a Finnish offence commonly translated into English as 'aggravated manslaughter'.
Oras died on 3 September after being taken to Helsinki University Hospital following the medical emergency at a private clinic, according to her parents and Finnish broadcaster Yle. Her family has described her death as following an 'aesthetic procedure gone wrong', while police have stressed that the investigation is still in its early stages.
Police Launch Investigation Into Influencer's Death
Helsinki police received a request to investigate Oras' death on 6 September, three days after she died.
The case is being investigated under the Finnish offence törkeä kuolemantuottamus, which is commonly rendered in English-language coverage as 'aggravated manslaughter'. The terminology refers to the legal classification of the investigation and does not mean that anyone has been convicted or that police have established that medical negligence occurred.
Police have released few details, saying only that the investigation remains at an early stage. Oras' family confirmed her death to PEOPLE through a spokesperson, who said she had died 'after an aesthetic procedure gone wrong'. The family also confirmed that a police report had been filed.
Olivia Oras Lost Consciousness Before Liposuction
According to Yle MOT, two independent sources confirmed that the procedure was liposuction at a cosmetic clinic in Helsinki. Oras reportedly lost consciousness during the anaesthesia before the liposuction. She was subsequently taken to Helsinki University Hospital, where she later died, according to information reported by Yle.
Her parents, artist Johanna Oras and art dealer Reijo Oras, told Yle that the investigation request concerned a private clinic in Helsinki and said they believed the clinic was responsible for their daughter's death.
That remains an allegation by the family. Yle has reported that there is currently no information establishing that a medical error occurred in Oras' case. Police have also not publicly identified who, if anyone, may ultimately be held responsible.
The circumstances surrounding the procedure and Oras' loss of consciousness are now subject to the police investigation.
A Young Star Shaped By Social Media
Oras first became known in Finland as a teenager after joining Instagram at the age of 14. Her growing online following led to the documentary The Perfect Selfie, which followed her life and explored her relationship with social media and the attention that came with it.
However, the exposure also brought difficulties. After the documentary, Oras closed her social media accounts and moved to Amsterdam in 2017, where she worked in a café and planned to attend university.
While living there, she witnessed a friend die by suicide in her apartment building.
Reflecting on the traumatic experience in a 2024 interview with Finnish outlet Ilta-Sanomat, Oras said: 'I was just building the life of my dreams, but now I saw what happened in my eyes over and over again.'
Oras Rebuilt Her Life Away From the Spotlight
After returning to Helsinki, Oras struggled with sleeping-pill and alcohol addiction and entered an addiction treatment facility for a month in 2022, according to a news media outlet.
In the later years of her life, she moved into work beyond her early social-media fame. Oras founded Oras Respiratus Ry, a non-profit organisation supporting pulmonary disease research, after her father was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis.
She also worked in the technology and wellness sectors, serving as Head of Community at artificial intelligence start-up Ikon AI and Chief Marketing Officer for PALL0 by Ai2Ai. Her career marked a significant shift from the highly publicised teenage influencer who had first attracted attention online.
Questions Remain Over Cosmetic Procedure
Oras' death has now prompted a criminal investigation, but authorities have not publicly established what caused her loss of consciousness or whether any medical error contributed to her death.
The Finnish police investigation is at an early stage, and further findings are expected to determine the circumstances surrounding the fatal medical emergency.
For now, the description of the procedure as having 'gone wrong' remains the account given by Oras' family, while the use of 'aggravated manslaughter' refers to the English rendering of the Finnish offence under which police are investigating.
No finding of wrongdoing has been made against the clinic or any individual in connection with Oras' death.
