A person accused of leaving his girlfriend to freeze to dying on Austria’s tallest mountain went on trial on Thursday in a case that might have main implications for mountain climbers and the way liable they’re for the security of companions.
The 36-year-old man, named in native media as Thomas P., is accused of having left his 33-year-old girlfriend, Kerstin G., alone as he went to search assist on Austria’s Grossglockner mountain within the early hours of January 19, 2025 after the pair bumped into difficulties whereas making an attempt to attain the summit.
The trial, at Innsbruck Regional Court, is anticipated to final simply sooner or later, with a attainable verdict by Thursday night, court docket officers advised NCS.
The man is dealing with a cost of grossly negligent murder, with state prosecutors in Innsbruck accusing him of making a number of errors, together with searching for assist too late and never carrying appropriate tools. Prosecutors say he was the “responsible guide for the tour” as, in contrast to his girlfriend, he was “already very experienced in high-altitude Alpine tours and had planned the tour.”
Thomas P. denies wrongdoing and believes his girlfriend’s dying was a “tragic accident,” his lawyer, Kurt Jelinek, stated.
Jelinek stated his consumer is “deeply saddened by the death of his partner” and described the state of affairs on the mountain, which reaches to 3,798 metres (round 12,460 ft), as “hopeless.”
The couple had been climbing the Studlgrat route, which is rated “fairly difficult” on the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA) scale and requires “very good physical shape” and “some rock climbing experience,” in accordance to one tour firm.
They set out at 6:45 a.m. and reached the ultimate level of the tour earlier than the summit, referred to as Frühstücksplatzl or “breakfast spot,” at 1:30 p.m. on January 18, 2025, in accordance to the lawyer.
The defendant, in a press release written to prosecutors and shared by his lawyer, maintains that each had been conscious that this was the “point of no return” earlier than reaching the summit and agreed to proceed.
However, as climate situations deteriorated and Kerstin G. reached a degree the place she might now not proceed the climb, Thomas P. left his girlfriend “unprotected, exhausted, hypothermic,” about 50 meters (164 ft) beneath the summit at round 2 a.m. on January 19, the place she froze to dying, prosecutors say.
There are conflicting accounts between the 2 events concerning the defendant’s name for assist.
Prosecutors say that, regardless of being “effectively stranded” on the mountain from round 8:50 p.m., Thomas P. failed to notify emergency companies till 3:30 a.m on January 19. He additionally failed to ship any misery indicators to a police helicopter that flew overhead at round 10:50 p.m., they are saying.
Rescue companies made a number of unsuccessful makes an attempt to contact the defendant earlier than receiving a primary telephone name from him at 12:35 a.m. on January 19, prosecutors say. Whether he raised the alarm throughout this telephone name is unclear.
According to the defendant’s lawyer, he didn’t instantly discover the missed calls as his cellular solely vibrated “slightly.” He observed them when he took out his telephone to prepare for a helicopter rescue after his girlfriend’s situation had worsened, Jelinek stated, citing the defendant’s assertion to the Innsbruck public prosecutor’s workplace.
According to the lawyer, his consumer stated throughout the 12:35 a.m. telephone name they had been in want of assist as quickly as attainable.
But prosecutors say the contents of the dialog stay “unclear,” and that the defendant didn’t take any additional calls from Alpine police as he had put his telephone on silent.
Prosecutors say that earlier than leaving his girlfriend at round 2 a.m., the defendant failed to shield her from additional warmth loss by discovering a sheltered spot. He additionally didn’t arrange her bivouac – a light-weight camp utilized by climbers – or emergency blankets, they are saying.
Her physique was discovered by alpine rescuers round 10 a.m. on January 19, in accordance to the defendant’s lawyer.
Prosecutors say the defendant failed to consider his girlfriend’s inexperience in mountain climbing in addition to the cruel winter situations.
Strong winds, which had reached speeds of up to 74km/h (45.9 mph) meant the temperature of –8°C (17.6°F) would have felt extra like –20°C (-4°F), which means they need to have turned again sooner – on the newest after they reached the “breakfast spot,” prosecutors stated.
The defendant maintains that he and his girlfriend deliberate the journey collectively and thought of themselves sufficiently skilled and well-equipped.
Speaking to German newspaper Die Zeit earlier this month, the deceased girl’s mom stated she didn’t need to place blame on her daughter’s boyfriend and spoke out towards what she described because the “witch hunt” towards him within the media and on-line. She additionally stated her daughter had typically gone mountain climbing after darkish and the pair of them had been geared up for the nighttime.