A body discovered in a vineyard near Nîmes in southern France on 12 August has been identified as social media personality Sonia Bellina following DNA analysis and investigative work. The 29-year-old content creator maintained approximately 260,000 followers on TikTok and had been in the region visiting family members. Local authorities initially launched a murder investigation after a farmer located the remains between rows of vines in the Saint-Gilles area, though several days elapsed before officials could confirm the victim’s identity.
Prosecutor Cécile Gensac announced on Wednesday that two men had been taken into police custody based on evidence suggesting their direct or indirect involvement in the incident. The prosecutor acknowledged that widespread public circulation of Bellina’s name had occurred during the preceding 48 hours prior to official confirmation of her identity.
The family’s legal representative, Mourad Battikh, characterized the death as “a murder of rare savagery,” noting that the body had been “abandoned” and treated dismissively. Following the discovery, Bellina’s family has endured significant scrutiny and online harassment, including inflammatory comments from members of the public. Battikh stated that the family intends to report and challenge any inappropriate published statements while requesting privacy and respect during their grieving process. He emphasized that the family would not be providing additional public statements regarding the matter.
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