Belgian teen claims rogue tattooist covered her face in stars

Jun 17 2009 By Katy Gordon

A BELGIAN teenager has claimed that a tattooist inked 56 stars onto one side of her face while she slept.

Police in the city of Kortrijk are investigating 18-year-old Kimberley Vlaeminck's claims that tattoo artist Rouslan Toumaniantz did not stop at her request for three stars at the corner of her eye and instead scattered the stars over her forehead, cheek and chin.

Kimberley claims she only discovered what he had done when she awoke and found him working on her nose.

Speaking to the BBC, she said: "I woke up when he was starting to tattoo my nose... I counted 56 stars, it is frightening."

However, tattoo artist Rouslan Toumaniantz, who works in the city's Tattoo Box parlour is claiming that he gave his client exactly what she asked for.

He said: "She was awake and looked in the mirror several times as the procedure was being done."

And he added that it was only after Kimberley's father saw his daughter's face that she changed her mind.

The teenager told members of the Belgian media that she had asked for three small stars near her eye and that when she woke up and discovered what had been done, it was a "nightmare".

Kimberley now says that she will keep the tattoos that are on her forehead but wants to remove the rest.

See the BBC News website for the full story