Cash from nude Carla Bruni picture rejected by Cambodian hospital

Not everyone is smitten with Carla Bruni.  A striking naked photograph of the model who became France’s First Lady raised $91,000 (£46,000) for a children’s hospital in Cambodia — which promptly refused to accept the money because it disapproved of raising cash from female nudity.

carla_bruni_308363a Although the hospital survives from hand to mouth, its Swiss director said that he did not want to upset patients and staff, even though it might be difficult for some in the West to understand Cambodian sensibilities.

Beat Richner added that the Government in Phnom Penh might be offended if the hospital were to benefit from a perceived insult to the wife of the French President.

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The Swiss themselves are less picky. A charitable foundation based in Switzerland that researches the purification of water for the developing world has now gladly accepted the cheque.

“My decision was taken out of respect for our patients and their mothers,” Mr Richner, who runs the Kantha Bopha Children’s Hospital Association in Siam Reap, told the Swiss newspaper Le Matin Dimanche.

“The use of nudity is not regarded here the same way as it is in the West. We are not in Hollywood here. Accepting money obtained from exploitation of the female body would be perceived as an insult.”

Mr Richner said that his refusal was not a criticism of the picture, taken by Michel Comte, a Swiss photographer, who says that he has hundreds more naked shots of Ms Bruni taken over ten years.

The auctioned picture, owned by the German collector Gert Elfering, was taken in 1993 as part of a shoot for Italian Vogue magazine. Mr Comte has vowed never to sell any of his images, including some said to be more explicit, and he reportedly persuaded Mr Elfering to put the proceeds of his sale to a good cause.

Mr Richner said that he had nothing against Ms Bruni, 39, who married President Sarkozy in February after a whirlwind romance. She would be welcome to visit the hospital, which has funds for the next five months but is appealing for $250,000.

“I would welcome her with great respect . I am sure she would understand my refusal,” he said.

“The idea of this gift was a way of guaranteeing publicity for the auction and the notoriety of the photograph. It was a way of using us. Lots of our donors remain anonymous. That was not the case here.”

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