A French court has recognised a woman’s alleged allergy to wi-fi as a medical disorder.
Marine Richard, 39, was awarded a £500 monthly disability allowance after she convinced the Marseilles court she had been forced to retire from urban areas as a result of her allergy.
Ms Richard’s condition, which remains unsubstantiated by medical experts, is known as electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) and sufferers’ claim exposure to mobile phones, Wi-Fi and televisions can cause severe discomfort.
“This is a breakthrough,” Ms Richard, who has reportedly been forced to live in a barn without electricity in the rural Ariège département, said of the court case.
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Her lawyer, Alice Terrasse, told The Times that the ruling set a legal precedent for “thousands of people”.
EHS campaigners – who celebrated the former radio producer’s successful case – have persuaded some local authorities to move mobile phone towers after residents complained.
Although French courts have refused up to now to pay disability allowances to individuals suffering from the alleged condition, some EHS sufferers have reportedly established “radiation-free” colonies in the countryside.
