Beauty and the Bester: South African rapist Thabo Bester loses bid to block Netflix film

Thabo Bester had argued the documentary would affect his trial for allegedly faking his death to escape prison.

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His lawyers argued that Beauty and the Bester was defamatory, but the streaming giant defended its plan to release the three-part investigation.

Bester's partner, celebrity doctor Nandipha Magudumana, features in the documentary, having allegedly helped him escape. She was part of the court bid to halt the release.

In a court ruling on Friday, a judge said the rape case was "firmly in the public domain" and that they had failed to prove that their petition was urgent.

She however said that the pair would still be free to sue for defamation if they wished, after the documentary airs. It was released hours after Friday's judgement was delivered.