Latest news with #Shem
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.
Daily Mail
04-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Hamas hostage, 23, 'raped by personal trainer influencer in her own home after being released'
A young Israeli woman who survived Hamas captivity has alleged that she was drugged and raped in her own home by a well-known personal trainer and social media influencer. Mia Shem, 23, who was abducted by terrorists from the Nova music festival on October 7 last year, bravely spoke out in an interview with Israel's Channel 12, where she detailed her harrowing ordeal. The French-Israeli national, who became the face of Hamas' s brutal hostage-taking when she appeared in a chilling 'proof of life' video with a bandaged arm, says the attack happened after she returned home from Gaza. '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 broadcaster. Shem said the incident took place last month and that she has since been left traumatised and struggling to cope. '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. The man accused of the horrific attack is a personal trainer in his thirties who has not been named. According to local reports, he is a fitness influencer with several celebrity clients – including a former prime minister. Police arrested him in March in connection with the case, but he has since been released due to a lack of evidence. However, the investigation is ongoing. Mia had visited the man's gym in Tel Aviv, just minutes from her home, for three training sessions before the alleged assault. While the trainer has denied raping her, Israeli media reports claim he admitted to entering her dressing room several times while she was changing. In her powerful testimony, Shem said she had been approached by the man with promises of Hollywood connections – claiming he could help her tell her story on the big screen. 'I'm writing a book, and because of what I went through there are a lot of people who want to take my story and make something of it, so it sounded completely normal,' she said. But when the man turned up alone – without the producer he had promised to bring – things took a terrifying turn. 'Since he walked in, I don't remember. I don't remember anything,' she said. 'My body remembers. My body felt it. My body knows I went through something.' She described experiencing terrifying flashbacks and physical symptoms that made her realise she had been drugged and assaulted. Mia Shem (C) with her mother and brother upon arrival at the Hatzerim air base following her release by the Palestinian Hamas group on November 30, 2023 'Even in captivity, when I was hurt, I got through that,' she said. 'The last thing I needed was an incident like this. I need a moment of peace to process my life for a second - I haven't started processing my captivity yet.' Her devastated mother, Keren Shem, said she had never seen her daughter in such a state. 'When we met after the incident, she couldn't stop crying. She was bent over and crying uncontrollably. I've been in difficult situations with her, I know my daughter, but here she was in some kind of complete breakdown. My daughter came back from captivity in a terrible physical and mental state, but not like she is now.' Mia was just 21 when she was kidnapped from the Nova festival, where more than 300 people were slaughtered in a dawn massacre near the Gaza border. She was freed in a hostage deal in November 2023, and later revealed she had been inappropriately touched by a Hamas militant – but he stopped when she screamed. Since her release, she has kept a low profile and was last seen in public at Sir Elton John's Oscar party.
