An Austrian mountaineer is due to appear in court accused of grossly negligent homicide after his girlfriend died of hypothermia.
The 33-year-old woman, identified only as Kerstin G, froze to death on 19 January 2025, about 50 meters below the summit of Austria’s highest mountain, Großglockner, after more than 17 hours of climbing with her boyfriend Thomas P, 36.
Prosecutors argued that Thomas P’s poor judgment and willingness to take risks as a more experienced climber were criminally responsible for his death in a case that has implications for mountain sports and sparked debate in Austria and beyond.
If convicted, Thomas P could face up to three years in prison.
The pair set out on the morning of January 18, but conditions worsened, leaving them struggling in the dark against temperatures that dropped to around -9C, a wind chill of -20C and winds of up to 45 m/h, an Innsbruck court will hear when the trial begins on Thursday.
Thomas P left Kerstin G at around 2am in an exhausted and defenseless state as he descended the mountain to seek help.
He denies murder. His lawyer, Kurt Jelinek, called Kerstin G’s death “a tragic accident”.
Senior public prosecutor Hansjörg Meyer and his team cited the legal concept of “tour guide courtesy” in the case, which places the most responsible person with more experience and knowledge and the key decision maker.
Prosecutors therefore accuse Thomas P of failing in his duty as a more experienced climber, listing nine major faults. These included pushing ahead with the climb despite the fact that Kirsten G had “never undertaken an alpine tour of such length, difficulty and altitude and challenging weather conditions”.
The pair left two hours later than advised and were not adequately equipped with emergency makeshift equipment, prosecutors said. Thomas P also did not advise Kerstin G that the snowboard boots she was wearing were not suitable for the terrain.
Prosecutors allege that Thomas P failed to turn around and, despite his partner being exhausted, he failed to make an emergency call before nightfall and didn’t send distress signals to a passing rescue helicopter.
“At 2 p.m., the defendant left his girlfriend unprotected, exhausted, hypothermic and disoriented approximately 50 meters below the Grossglockner summit cross,” the mayor said.
Jelinek disputed the prosecutor’s version, saying the pair had organized the trip together and were “sufficiently experienced, adequately prepared and well-equipped” as they had “relevant alpine experience” and were “in very good physical condition”.
More than 7,000 people climb the 3,798-meter (12,461 ft) high Groglockner every year. Almost 200 mountaineer deaths have been recorded there, but Kerstin G has attracted none.
Her mother, Gertraud G, due to give evidence, said she did not hold Thomas P responsible for her daughter’s death and spoke of a “witch-hunt” against him.
In a recent interview with German weekly Die Zeit, Gertrude Gee said she was upset by the way her daughter, who discovered her passion for mountaineering during the pandemic, was portrayed.
“It angers me to portray Kerstin as a stupid little thing,” she said. “Kerstin is in excellent physical condition. And she has already mastered the most difficult climbing tours alone and with her boyfriend”.
