Emma Fourreau, a Member of the European Parliament for La France Insoumise, sparked numerous reactions by claiming that women being abandoned by their partners during mountain hikes are "increasingly frequent." In a video posted on X on Thursday, August 13, the MEP presented this practice, sometimes referred to as "alpine divorce," as a possible form of domestic violence.
To illustrate her point, Emma Fourreau cites the death of an Austrian woman abandoned by her partner at high altitude in the middle of the night in January 2025. The victim died of exposure, and the man was subsequently convicted. This highly publicized case is believed to have encouraged other women to recount experiences in which they were left alone, sometimes without water, food, a map, or any means of communication. However, no statistics exist to establish the frequency or increase of this phenomenon.
These claims are disputed due to a lack of data.
The MEP believes that deliberately abandoning a partner in a dangerous environment can constitute violence, particularly when it occurs within a relationship already marked by control or toxic behavior. She also suggests that some hikers might distance themselves from their partners to improve their performance recorded on fitness apps like Strava. However, this hypothesis is not supported by any studies or statistics.
On social media, several users accused Emma Fourreau of generalizing from isolated accounts and portraying women as incapable of navigating on their own. Others, on the contrary, believe the issue is less about their autonomy than about deliberately endangering someone in a challenging environment. Beyond the political controversy, the basic recommendations for hiking in the mountains remain the same for everyone: plan your route, carry water and a means of navigation, stay in a group, and never leave a hiking companion in difficulty alone.
Community
Comments
Write a comment
Be the first to comment on this article.