Murder of Sonia Bellina: 32-year-old suspect charged had an anti-proximity bracelet
A 32-year-old man has been charged with the murder of influencer Sonia Bellina, found dead in the Gard. He denies the charges but admits meeting her on the night of the incident.
Profile of the suspect in the Sonia Bellina case
A 32-year-old man was charged on Friday 21 August with the murder of Sonia Bellina, a 29-year-old influencer found dead in the Gard, announced Nîmes prosecutor Cécile Gensac. According to France Info, the suspect has been living in the Gard since late December 2024.
The body of the young woman, followed by more than 250,000 subscribers on TikTok, was discovered on 12 August in the vineyards of Saint-Gilles, a village situated about twenty kilometres from Nîmes. It bore traces of partial charring.
A lengthy criminal record
The suspect has a "lengthy criminal record", in the words used by prosecutor Gensac. He has been convicted multiple times for drug trafficking. In December 2023, Lille court also convicted him of domestic violence.
At the time of the incident, he was wearing an anti-proximity bracelet designed to "protect his ex-partner, living 800 kilometres away" from the Gard, the Nîmes prosecutor's office specifies. He was also under supervision by the Gard probation and rehabilitation service.
Arrested after a week of investigation
The suspect was arrested on Wednesday "following a week of investigation, through various cross-checks carried out with great diligence", the prosecutor recalls. A second man, aged 26, had also been taken into custody, but was released after the investigators' initial checks.
He admits meeting her, denies the murder
During his detention, the suspect admitted "having had relations on the night in question and the evening before with the victim", but "refused to provide further explanations, exercising his right to silence", the prosecutor's statement indicates. He categorically denies having killed Sonia Bellina.
The prosecutor clarifies that "various elements may suggest that he was her last contact, in the context of meeting her as an escort-girl by appointment on the night in question". She adds that "nothing established any relationship between them other than a commercial one".
Wave of harassment following her disappearance
The announcement of the young woman's disappearance triggered a wave of online harassment, publicly denounced by her family. Sonia Bellina, aged 29, had a substantial social media following at the time of her death.
Source: France Info