British News Agency

According to the BBC, Kerstin G died of hypothermia during a Grossglockner climbing trip that went terribly wrong. Her boyfriend is accused of leaving her near the summit in the early hours of January 19, 2025, in stormy conditions, exhausted and without protection, while he went to seek help.

The case has sparked interest and debate not only in Austria but also in mountaineering communities far beyond its borders.

Prosecutors say the defendant, a more experienced climber, was the “responsible guide of the tour” and failed to return in time to assist his girlfriend or call for support.

The man, identified in Austrian media as Thomas P., denies the charges, and his lawyer Karl Jelinek described the woman’s death as a “tragic accident.”

The tragedy occurred after the couple began their ascent of the 3,798-meter Grossglockner.

Prosecutors allege that Thomas P. made mistakes from the outset and published a list of nine errors.

The case raises the question of when personal judgment and risk-taking behavior become matters of criminal responsibility. According to Austria’s Der Standard newspaper, if the climber is found guilty, it could mean “a paradigm shift for mountain sports.”

A key point of the case is the allegation by Innsbruck state prosecutors that he should be considered the “responsible guide of the tour,” as he was highly experienced in high-altitude Alpine tours and had planned the trip, unlike his girlfriend.