Alpinist left girlfriend on mountain to get help. Now he is being tried for murder
In Austria, a climber will stand trial, accused of involuntary manslaughter due to gross negligence following the death of his girlfriend during an ascent of Grossglockner – the country's highest mountain (3798 m), writes The Guardian.
Grossglockner mountain. Illustrative photo. Photo: Patrick Pleul/dpa-Zentralbild/ZB (Photo by Patrick Pleul/picture alliance via Getty Images
33-year-old Kerstin died on January 19, 2025, having frozen approximately 50 meters from the summit. Together with her 36-year-old partner Thomas, they had been climbing for over 17 hours. Afterwards, weather conditions sharply deteriorated: the temperature dropped to almost −9°C, feeling like −20°C with the wind chill, and wind gusts reached about 72 km/h.
Around two in the morning, Thomas left Kerstin in a state of exhaustion and hypothermia to descend the mountain for help. Prosecutors believe that as the more experienced participant and de facto leader of the ascent, he bears primary responsibility for the decisions made.
The prosecution claims that Thomas made nine serious mistakes. Among them:
- the decision to continue the ascent despite Kerstin's insufficient experience in complex alpine routes of such length and altitude;
- starting the ascent two hours later than the recommended time;
- lack of emergency equipment;
- inappropriate footwear for the girl;
- absence of a timely distress signal and refusal to stop the route earlier.
Prosecutors refer to a legal concept according to which a person with greater experience and competencies bears greater responsibility for the decisions made.
At the same time, Thomas denies his guilt. His lawyer calls the incident a tragic accident and asserts that the couple jointly planned the route, had sufficient experience, good physical fitness, and appropriate equipment.
The mother of the deceased also does not consider Thomas guilty and states that a "witch hunt" has been launched against him. According to her, Kerstin was in excellent physical shape and had previously completed even more challenging routes — both independently and with her partner.
If the court finds Thomas guilty, he faces up to three years in prison.