She had done everything right. Corinne Rey-Bellet had left her abusive husband and returned to her hometown of Les Crosets, in French-speaking Switzerland. After years of isolation in the German-speaking part of the country, the former World Cup skier was back among family, in the mountains where she was not just known, but celebrated. A two-time Olympian and five-time World Cup winner, she was the pride of the valley — the standout figure in a family deeply rooted in the local ski culture.
Then came the phone call. Gerold Stadler, her estranged husband, wanted to speak when he returned their two-year-old son. He suggested they might try to resolve their differences. Rey-Bellet was cautious. She agreed to meet, but not alone — her mother and brother would be there. It was the kind of precaution domestic violence advocates consistently recommend. On the evening of April 30, 2006, she agreed to talk.
It was the last decision she would make. Stadler arrived at around 7 p.m., briefly greeting members of the family before entering the chalet. At first, the meeting appeared calm. But later that evening, after their son had been put to bed, he pulled out a gun and shot Rey-Bellet. He then shot her mother, Verena, and her brother, Alain. The two-year-old woke to the sound of gunfire. Stadler fled and was found three days later, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Verena Rey-Bellet survived with serious injuries. She lost both of her children that night. Two-year-old Kevin lost both his parents.
Rey-Bellet’s skiing career had been defined by consistency and quiet excellence. She won five World Cup races and stood on the podium 15 times. She competed at two Olympic Games and won a silver medal at the 2003 World Championships. Among her most remarkable achievements was winning both a downhill and a Super-G on the same day — an extraordinary feat that remains unmatched to this day.
She retired in 2003, leaving behind a career that had made her one of Switzerland’s most respected racers. In Val-d’Illiez, the tight-knit Valais valley right by the French border where she was born and raised, she was treated as something close to royalty. Her funeral drew hundreds, including leading figures from the skiing world such as Pirmin Zurbriggen, Didier Cuche, and Sonja Nef.
What happened inside her marriage is not fully known. But the pattern is familiar. After years of abuse, a woman leaves. She takes legal steps, returns to family, and seeks distance from her abuser. The separation is meant to bring safety. Instead, it can mark the point of greatest danger. Research has consistently shown that the period immediately following separation is one of the highest-risk times for victims of domestic violence. Leaving does not always end the threat — it can intensify it.
20 years on, her story is as relevant as ever. Every year, 50,000 women are killed globally by their partner or family member — that is 137 women every day.
Corinne Rey-Bellet spent her career confronting risk as a speed specialist on the World Cup circuit. The danger was visible, measurable, and, to some extent, controllable. The danger that took her life was neither. She tried to escape it, but it followed her to the place she believed was safest — her home, her family, her mountains.
