Serious crime in ski resorts is very rare - which makes
recent events in Courchevel, which include a murder, robbery
and a suicide even more unusual.
All three events happened within two
days of each other in mid-December and ranged from the tragic
to the farcical.
The suicide happened in Le Praz when
a local dramatically ended his life whilst on a parapente
flight above the resort. The male victim simply unstrapped
himself while above the car park in the village and fell
200m to his death.
The same day, a 44 year old woman
was stabbed to death in Courchevel 1850 in what the Tourist
Office described as a 'un crime passionnel'. The Tourist
Office and Gendarmerie were both reluctant to give any details,
but the Dauphine Libere reported that the body was found
at the bottom of the Pralong drag lift with five stab wounds.
Several hours later a woman of 42 was arrested and is now
awaiting trial at Lyon prison.
Almost lost between these twin tragedies,
a jewellers in the Espace Diamant shopping centre in 1850
was the subject of a robbery. The thieves allegedly stole
a number of valuable items before disappearing by foot into
the woods.
The search for the criminals was taken
very seriously by local police. A road block was set-up
at the foot of the hill to Courchevel and every car was
stopped and identity papers checked, causing long delays.
The following day, helicopters flew over the forest surrounding
Courchevel.
According to one local resident they
were rather over-zealous in their investigations. Firstly
he was woken by a helicopter hovering outside his bedroom
window, before opening his front door in his pajamas to
be greeted by a dozen armed police.
As yet, this crime remains unsolved.
