Mia Shem, a former Israeli captive, who was initially identified by Hebrew sources as the object of sexual assault by a famous Israeli fitness trainer, but is yet to address the case
A former Israeli captive, who was released from the Gaza Strip during an exchange process, has reportedly been raped by a well-known Israeli fitness trainer in the city of Tel Aviv.
The assault allegedly occurred just days before her wedding, after the trainer drugged her drink, various Hebrew-language media sources have reported.
According to the Hebrew-language news outlet Mako, the female person in the case has filed a police complaint, saying the trainer, with whom she was previously acquainted, drugged and raped her in a north Tel Aviv apartment.
She told investigators that she had trained at his fitness studio, which is frequented by “celebrities,” and believes he spiked her drink with a “date-rape drug” before attacking her.
A friend later found her to be disoriented and took her to a hospital, where medical staff confirmed signs of rape.
The trainer in question, who has been detained, has admitted to meeting the woman at the apartment, but strongly denied drugging or assaulting her. “I didn’t rape her—period. I’ve never been accused of anything like this before. I don’t even know why I’m here,” he told investigators.
Israeli outlets said the case had sparked widespread outrage, with authorities describing it as a high-profile incident in light of the former captive’s being a “public figure” herself.
Hebrew Telegram channels had initially claimed that the woman in question was “Mia Shem,” who was held in Gaza before her release. Rakemet, a popular channel with over 42,000 subscribers, published her name, but later removed it.
Israeli journalist Amiram had first reported on the case without disclosing the woman’s identity.
Shem has not publicly addressed the allegations, but Israeli media recently reported that she had ended her engagement with her fiancé.
During her time in Gaza, Shem had falsely accused Palestinian resistance fighters of “mistreating” her, despite admitting that no physical harm had befallen her.
Speaking on the One Day at a Time podcast, which reportedly addresses afflicted people’s self-help efforts, Shem has revealed that she had requested a pregnancy test after her release, fearing that “something had happened” while she was in Gaza, and wanted to “neutralize these thoughts” by seeking medical confirmation upon returning to the occupied Palestinian territories. The test’s results were negative though.
The regime says there are 59 captives still remaining in Gaza, 35 of whom are believed to be dead.
The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has released many Israeli captives, exchanging them with Palestinian prisoners under a ceasefire deal with Tel Aviv.
The exchange process, however, stopped after the regime began violating the terms of the deal, including by resuming a genocidal war against the coastal sliver.
Hamas has confirmed that scores of the captives have been killed during the regime’s incessant and indiscriminate bombings of the Palestinian territory.
The regime’s illegal settlers have been holding angry protests throughout the course of the warfare, urging Tel Aviv to stop the brutal military onslaught to both refrain from killing more captives and ensure the release of the ones who remain in Gaza.
