Femicide near Nîmes: Sonia Bellina identified, two suspects in custody
The body of influencer Sonia Bellina, 29, was identified on 19 August around twenty kilometres from Nîmes. Two men in their thirties are in police custody.
Charred body of influencer Sonia Bellina formally identified near Nîmes
According to France Info, it was in the middle of charred vineyards, around twenty kilometres from Nîmes, that the body of Sonia Bellina was found on Wednesday, 12 August 2026. The TikToker, 29, who had 260,000 followers on social media, was partially nude and partially burnt.
On 19 August, the prosecutor of the Republic for Nîmes confirmed the victim's identification in a press release. "DNA expertise allows us to confirm today that the identity of the person discovered dead and partially charred on Wednesday, 12 August 2026 is indeed that of influencer Sonia Bellina," she stated.
Two suspects in custody, one already known for violence
Two men in their thirties have been placed in police custody due to evidence suggesting their involvement in the facts. One of them is already known to police for violence and carrying weapons. He is also suspected of being the influencer's last contact on the night of the crime.
If the murder is confirmed as a femicide, it would be the 86th case of 2026 in France.
Family denounces wave of online harassment
Alongside the investigation, Sonia Bellina's family is facing another ordeal: hundreds of derogatory comments are multiplying online directed at the deceased young woman.
The family's lawyer, Maître Mourad Battikh, warned that legal proceedings would be brought against the authors of these posts. "A far-right account referred to Sonia by calling her a 'milk jug'. This is how Sonia's memory is reduced today. This is why I am very firm on the circulation of images. Those who engage in online harassment, well, I will see, I will be very careful that they too can be brought before courts of law," he declared.
Source: France Info