A South African court on Friday rejected an attempt to block the release of a Netflix documentary about a man convicted of rape and murder who faked his own death to escape prison.

Thabo Bester gained global notoriety in 2023 after his arrest in Tanzania, a year after the dramatic escape from a private prison in Bloemfontein.

Authorities had believed that Bester, dubbed the "Facebook Rapist," had set himself alight in his cell but DNA tests revealed the charred remains belonged to someone else.

Bester and his celebrity doctor partner, Nandipha Magudumana, opposed the three-part "Beauty and the Bester" documentary, arguing it was defamatory and violated their rights to a fair trial.

Judge Sulet Potterill dismissed the application, ruling that they had failed to prove that their

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