A court in Austria has found a mountaineer with extensive experience guilty of gross negligence manslaughter. His girlfriend had died while climbing the Grossglockner during winter, January 2025.
Under Austrian privacy laws, the climber was identified as Thomas P. He received a suspended five-month sentence, and an additional fine of 9.600 euros. The verdict has been appealed.
Kerstin, his girlfriend, died from hypothermia while on a trip to Austria’s highest mountain, Grossglockner.
The Court says he misjudged the risk
Norbert Hofer is an alpinist with extensive experience who has worked in Tyrol mountain rescue and helicopter teams. He said Thomas P was a strong climber. Kerstin had less climbing experience than Thomas P, norbert Hofer said.
He said that the couple had to turn back sooner. Thomas P had misjudged danger, but he did not intentionally leave his girlfriend. He told the court, “I do not see you as an assassin.
He failed to call or cancel the trip in time, they said. Prosecutors claim that he shouldn’t have let the situation escalate.
Thomas P. was also the subject of intense criticism on social media.
The Previous Incident Raises Concerns
Andrea B testified during the trial about an incident that occurred in 2023. Thomas P, she said, left her on Grossglockner during a second climb.
After her headlamp failed, she described being dizzy and tired. She claimed that she had screamed and wept while the driver continued on without her. This pattern of behaviour was a concern to the judge.
Rescue Team Findings
Later, rescue teams found Kerstin’s dead body upside-down on a rock. Austrian media reports that strong winds were reaching speeds of up to 74km per hour. Temperatures were minus 8° Celsius with wind chill below minus 20°.He claimed that stronger winds would have been able to push her off the South Face.
Presenting Medical Evidence
Claudia Woss, a forensic pathologist at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, confirmed that Kerstin died due to hypothermia. Her system also showed signs of viral infection and trace amounts of ibuprofen.
She could not say for sure if the illness had reduced Kerstin’s strength, or triggered a rapid decline.
Thomas P. pleaded guilty. The court heard him say he was deeply sorry and loved his girlfriend. Kurt Jelinek argued for him that both climbers were under extreme pressure during the ascent. Kerstin had experience in mountaineering and was aware of the dangers, he said.
Parents described her as independent and active. Her mother stated that she never would have blindly followed someone into danger.
