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Roya News
09-05-2025
- Roya News
"She was safer with Hamas:" Ex-captive raped by 'Israeli' fitness influencer
The sexual assault trial involving a prominent "Israeli" fitness influencer has sparked a global outcry, after it was revealed that the survivor at the center of the case is Mia Schem—a 23-year-old who had previously been held captive in Gaza. Schem was freed in November 2023 during a temporary ceasefire between Hamas and the Israeli Occupation. Her release had been widely covered at the time, with many celebrating her safe return. But months later, Schem came forward with harrowing allegations that have reignited attention—this time for deeply disturbing reasons. She accused the well-known trainer of raping her in her own home after allegedly drugging her with a date-rape drug. "This was my biggest fear my whole life, before captivity, during captivity," Schem told "Israeli" news outlet Haaretz. "And it happened to me after captivity, in my safest place." "Israeli" outlet Maariv reported that the case gained massive traction online once it was publicly confirmed that the complainant was Schem. As international users reacted to the news, some social media comments drew sharp criticism of "Israeli" society. 'It was safer for her when she was with Hamas,' some wrote, according to Maariv.
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First Post
06-05-2025
- First Post
Freed from Hamas, drugged & raped by fitness influencer: The harrowing tale of ex-Israeli hostage Mia Schem
Mia Schem, a French-Israeli national freed from Hamas captivity in November 2023, has accused a well-known fitness trainer in Tel Aviv of drugging and raping her at her home. The trainer, a familiar face on social media, is known for working with celebrities, including a former prime minister. Schem became a known face across the world after Hamas released a video of her in captivity just days after she was taken read more Mia Schem became known around the world when Hamas released a video showing her in captivity just days after she was taken. AFP/File Photo Freed from Hamas captivity in November 2023, a young Israeli woman has accused a popular fitness trainer in Tel Aviv of drugging and raping her. Mia Schem, 22, said the man persuaded her to host a meeting at her home by claiming a Hollywood producer would be there. She said the assault took place during that meeting. The trainer is said to be a familiar face on social media, known for working with celebrities, including a former prime minister. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Mia, a French-Israeli national, became widely recognised after a video was released showing her with a bandaged arm during her time in captivity in Gaza. She said the attack happened after she returned home. In this explainer, we look at what the Israeli woman has accused the trainer of, how the incident took place, who the suspect is, the developments in the case, and a short background on Mia. What happened? Schem shared her experience in a recent interview with Israel's Channel 12. 'This was my biggest fear in life. Before captivity, during captivity, and it happened after the captivity, at my home, in the place meant to be safest for me,' she told the channel. The case had been reported earlier, but many details, including the names of those involved, were under a gag order. Schem said she had unexplained marks on her body following the alleged incident. X She said the incident took place last month and that she has been left deeply affected, struggling to cope since then. 'I've decided to tell the truth. I'm not the one who needs to hide,' Schem said at the start of what was her first interview since identifying herself as the complainant. She alleged that the man, who had given her three training sessions in the past, said he wanted to connect her with a Hollywood producer interested in making a film based on her survival in Gaza. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD According to her, when the producer did not turn up at the hotel lobby, the trainer arranged to meet again - this time at her home. Schem recalled that on the day of the meeting, the man arrived two hours late. When he got there, he asked her closest friend, who was also at the flat, to leave, saying the meeting was sensitive. She said her memory from that point became unclear. 'My body remembers; it feels everything,' she said in the interview. 'But I don't know what happened.' 'It took me three days to connect the physical sensations to consciousness,' she added. In the days that followed, her friend and family noticed she was not herself and became concerned. Since then, Schem said she has started to remember glimpses of what took place: the trainer coming into her room while she was not dressed and another person in the apartment. One of her friends suggested she might have been drugged. Schem said she went to the police, who then sent her to a support centre for survivors of sexual assault. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A medical check-up, according to reports, showed signs of sexual activity. Schem also said she had unexplained marks on her body following the alleged incident. What do we know about the suspect? What happened in the investigation? After the complaint Schem made to the police, the fitness trainer was arrested in late March. Around the same time, word began to spread on social media about a freed hostage being sexually assaulted, with speculation over the identities of both the woman and the suspect. Security camera footage from Schem's building, aired by Channel 12, showed the trainer arriving at 4:00 pm, followed by another man at 6:30 pm. Notably, the second man was not the Hollywood producer she had been told about. According to a report by The Times of Israel, the man is believed to live in the US, but his identity has not been confirmed. The trainer was later released but is still considered a suspect as the investigation continues. He has strongly denied having any sexual contact with Schem. However, police said his version of events has changed more than once, and a polygraph test reportedly showed that he was not honest when answering questions about sexual contact. During questioning, the trainer is said to have claimed that Schem 'destroyed his life.' He was repeatedly quoted by Ynet as saying, 'I'm a good person.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Messages he sent to Schem after their meeting have also drawn attention. One message read, 'What a night, wow,' followed by another saying, 'Yoel was really impressed by you. He's checking into it,' according to Haaretz. Schem was released from Hamas captivity on November 30, 2023, during a weeklong ceasefire. Reuters/File Photo What happened to Schem during captivity? The 21-year-old, who holds both Israeli and French citizenship, was attending a music festival in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants crossed the border and attacked the site. She was released on November 30 that year during a weeklong ceasefire. Speaking to Israel's Channel 13 TV after her release, Schem said she was taken after escaping her friend's car, which had caught fire. She recalled that her captor began touching her upper body inappropriately, but stopped when she screamed and he saw she had been shot in the arm and was seriously injured. Schem became known around the world when Hamas released a video showing her in captivity just days after she was taken. In the video, she is seen lying in bed with someone bandaging her right arm. She says she wants to go home. At the time, it was the first public sign that the hostages were still alive. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from agencies
NDTV
05-05-2025
- NDTV
Freed Israeli Hostage Mia Schem Says She Was Drugged, Raped By Fitness Influencer
Quick Take Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. Mia Schem, 22, accused a fitness trainer of rape in her Tel Aviv home. She claims the assault occurred shortly after her release from Hamas. She alleges she was drugged before the assault during a planned meeting. Mia Schem, the 22-year-old Israeli woman who was freed from Hamas captivity last year, has accused a well-known fitness trainer in Tel Aviv of raping and drugging her. Speaking to Israel's Channel 12, Ms Schem alleged that the assault took place inside her own home, shortly after her release. "This was my biggest fear my whole life, before captivity, during captivity. And it happened to me after captivity, in my safest place," she said, according to Israeli newspaper Haaretz. Ms Schem said she met the personal trainer, known for his celebrity clientele, at a Purim party. After attending three training sessions with him, she claimed he offered to connect her with a Hollywood producer interested in making a film about her ordeal in Gaza. When the first meeting fell through, she agreed to host a second meeting at her home. However, Ms Schem alleged that the trainer arrived late and persuaded her friend to leave, saying the meeting was sensitive. She said she remembers little of what happened afterwards, but believes she was drugged. "My body remembers; it feels everything... but I don't know what happened," she said, adding that it took her days to process the physical and emotional trauma. Her mother, Keren, described her daughter's condition in the days after the alleged assault as worse than when she returned from captivity. "Now I was seeing a kind of distress that really scared me," she said. Following the interview, Ms Schem shared a message on social media: "It's not easy to stand in front of a camera and reveal the truth. But there comes a time when you realise your silence doesn't protect you, it protects others."
Hindustan Times
05-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Freed Israeli hostage accuses Tel Aviv fitness influencer of raping her: ‘It happened to me after captivity'
Mia Schem, an Israeli woman who was held hostage in Gaza, has accused a popular Tel Aviv fitness influencer of raping her after she was released by Hamas. In a recent interview with Channel 12, the 22-year-old claimed that the personal trainer allegedly raped and drugged her inside her own home. 'This was my biggest fear my whole life, before captivity, during captivity,' Schem told the outlet last week, per Haaretz. 'And it happened to me after captivity, in my safest place.' She claimed to have met the trainer, who was well-known among celebrities in Israel, at a 'Purim party.' Schem told the outlet that after three training sessions with him, the trainer offered to introduce her to a Hollywood film producer who was interested in making a movie about her harrowing captivity in Gaza. However, when the said producer failed to show up at the hotel lobby, a second meeting was scheduled at Schem's home. The French-Israeli national recalled that the trainer arrived two hours late and told her best friend to leave the apartment because of how sensitive the meeting with the producer would be. However, Schem does not remember what happened afterwards. But her 'body' does. 'My body remembers; it feels everything,' Schem told the outlet, adding, 'But I don't know what happened.' 'It took me three days to connect the physical sensations to consciousness,' she further said. Her mother, Keren, described her to the outlet as 'completely broken' in the days following the alleged assault. 'My daughter came back from captivity in a very difficult physical and mental condition,' Keren said, adding, 'And even then, she wasn't like this. Now I was seeing a kind of distress that really scared me.' In a post-interview Instagram Story, Schem wrote, 'It's not easy to stand in front of a camera and reveal the truth. But there comes a time when you realize your silence doesn't protect you, it protects others,' per the outlet.
International Business Times
05-05-2025
- International Business Times
Mia Schem: Freed Hamas Hostage Claims She Was Drugged and Raped by Personal Fitness Trainer in Her Own Home
Freed Israeli hostage Mia Schem has alleged that a Tel Aviv fitness influencer drugged and raped her in her home earlier this year, a traumatic experience that haunted her when she was held captive by Hamas following the October 7, 2023, attack. Shem, 23, shared her traumatic experience in an interview with Israel's Channel 12. The French-Israeli woman, who gained global attention after appearing injured in a disturbing "proof of life" video released by Hamas, revealed that the assault took place after she had returned home from captivity in Gaza. The interview comes as speculation surrounding the sexual assault circulated for weeks after the trainer was briefly detained in March. Traumatic Experience after Returning Home "This was my biggest fear my whole life, before captivity, during captivity," she told the outlet, according to Haaretz. "And it happened to me after captivity, in my safest place." Shem said that the incident occurred last month and has left her deeply traumatized. "I came to tell the story as it is, which is that I was abused. I went through an incident last month that caused me to lock myself inside my house, to get into extreme mental states, and at the end of the day - I'm the one that was hurt," she said. She alleges that the unidentified man, who had trained her three times before, claimed he wanted to introduce her to a Hollywood producer to explore the possibility of making a film about her harrowing experience of surviving captivity in Gaza. The influencer, who is in his 30s, reportedly has several celebrity clients, including a former prime minister. Schem said that when the producer didn't appear at the hotel lobby as planned, a second meeting was arranged at her home. She said the trainer asked one of her friends — who was present at the time — to leave, claiming the conversation with the supposed producer would be highly confidential. After her friend left, the French-Israeli woman told the local outlet that she has no recollection of what happened next. "My body remembers; it feels everything," she told the outlet, per Haaretz. "But I don't know what happened. It took me three days to connect the physical sensations to consciousness," she added. Not Safe Even after Being Freed Schem said that bits of her memory started returning, including recalling the trainer entering her room while she was unclothed and another person being present in the apartment. After a friend suggested she may have been drugged, she reported the incident to the police and underwent a medical examination, which revealed evidence of sexual intercourse. She also said that she found marks on her body following the alleged assault. According to reports, the fitness influencer has firmly denied any involvement in the incident. His attorney claimed that Schem came back for another workout just two days after the alleged assault and appeared to be "smiling," suggesting she wasn't distressed. However, Schem claimed during the interview that she was still in shock and hadn't yet come to terms with what had happened. The trainer was arrested late last month but later released due to a lack of sufficient evidence, as the investigation remains ongoing, Ynet reported. His lawyer also cited the release as further proof of his client's innocence. According to the outlet, the alleged rape was reported to authorities around six weeks ago. Schem had been attending the Nova music festival when Hamas militants launched a surprise assault on Israel, during which she was shot in the arm and taken hostage to Gaza, where she remained captive for 55 days.
