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.
