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MODEL

Suspected stabber Nabilla freed from prison

Swiss model and French reality TV star Nabilla Benattia left a women’s prison in Versailles, France on Thursday on conditional release while facing charges of attempted murder after stabbing her boyfriend.

Suspected stabber Nabilla freed from prison
Photo: AFP

The 22-year-old, known by her entertainment industry name Nabilla, was freed after five weeks’ detention but remains under judicial restrictions ahead of a trial which will not take place until mid- 2015 at the earliest, justice authorities said, according to a report from AFP.

She is suspected of using a knife to stab her boyfriend Thomas Vergara, 28, in a hotel room in Boulogne-Billancourt, near Paris last month.

The native of Geneva was placed in detention on November 9th.

Under the order for her release, Nabilla is prohibited from having contact with Vergara, even through social media, and is also required to not comment on the case in the media.

Nabilla’s liberation came two days after she and her boyfriend were questioned again about the case.

She reportedly maintained that Vergara wounded himself with the knife during a violent dispute between the couple, Swiss broadcaster RTS said.

Vergara, for his part, alleged that it was Nabilla who held the knife and struck him “amid the confusion” while he was trying to restrain her.

Nabilla had initially maintained that the couple were the victims of three unknown intruders, a scenario that was contradicted by the lack of any matching evidence from video surveillance cameras.

The petite model, who has admitted to having breast enhancement surgery, shot to fame in a French reality TV show.

She subsequently became a fixture in media both in Switzerland and France, where she is routinely referred to as a "bimbo", while photos of her in scanty attire have filled photo galleries on websites. 

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TELEVISION

Norwegian reality show introduces sexual consent rule for contestants

The latest series of Paradise Hotel in Norway has introduced an on-screen consent requirement for contestants planning on having sexual contact following allegations of abuse on the Swedish version of the show.

Norwegian reality show introduces sexual consent rule for contestants
The show has introduced on-screen consent requirements. Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

Contestants in the latest series of Paradise Hotel, which aired on Monday night, will require contestants to demonstrate on-screen with a thumbs up to the camera that they consent to any sexual activity.

“We were told from day one that if we were to have sex, we had to consent with a thumbs up to the camera from both parties,” Stian Trulsen, a contestant on the hit reality series, told newspaper VG

Earlier this year, it was alleged that a male contestant abused two female participants on the Swedish edition of the show. Swedish prosecuting authorities are investigating the alleged abuse. 

Christian Meinseth, program manager for production company Nent which makes the show, said the new rules weren’t directly introduced because of what happened on the Swedish programme. 

“No, but we have, of course, worked with the series and looked at our practices around the format, so we ensure that Paradise Hotel is both a good watch and fun to be a participant in,” Meinseth told VG. 

“We are very concerned about the participants’ safety, and we have not had any challenges around the new rules,” Meinseth added. 

The program manager added that the production company wanted the show to reflect a more modern approach to sex. 

“At the same time, we are also careful to monitor language use and how the participants describe each other. Everyone should show respect for each other, and there will be more focus on the game itself. Viewers can look forward to an exciting and entertaining season,” he said. 

The 15th season of the show, which has been on Norwegian tv screens since 2009, will also include a “paradise talents” week where there is a focus on inner values as part of several on-screen and off-screen measures to try and promote more healthy sexual relationships.

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