An Austrian court has found a climber guilty of gross negligent manslaughter after his girlfriend died of hypothermia, a medical emergency occurring when the body loses heat faster than it produces it, during a winter ascent of Austria’s highest peak.

The man, identified as Thomas P under Austrian privacy rules, received a five-month suspended sentence and a fine of €9,600. His girlfriend, Kerstin G, died in January 2025 while the couple were climbing Grossglockner in severe winter conditions.

Court’s findings

In a statement, the court said it considered Thomas P’s previously clean record and the personal loss he had suffered as mitigating factors. It also noted “the public discussion on social media, which was incriminating for the defendant”.

Judge Norbert Hofer, an experienced mountaineer who has worked with rescue teams in Tyrol, described Thomas P as a skilled alpinist but said Kerstin G lacked comparable winter climbing experience. He ruled that the couple should have abandoned the climb earlier.

Although the judge concluded that Thomas P had seriously misjudged the situation, he said the evidence did not show that he had left her behind deliberately. “I don't see you as a murderer, I don't see you as cold-hearted,” he told the defendant.

What happened on the mountain

Prosecutors argued that Thomas P, as the more experienced climber, bore responsibility for the expedition. They said he failed to turn back or call for help in time, despite strong winds reaching 74 km/h and temperatures dropping to -8C, with windchill making it feel like -20C.

Video footage from a police helicopter around 22:30 showed the pair still climbing. No distress signal was sent. Thomas P later contacted mountain police at 00:35, though there is disagreement over whether he described the situation as an emergency.

According to prosecutors, he continued to the summit and descended on the other side, leaving Kerstin G behind at around 02:00. Rescue teams later found her body hanging upside down from a rock face. One rescuer told the court they were “amazed” she remained in that position and that stronger winds could have caused her to fall further.

A forensic pathologist confirmed she died of hypothermia. Evidence of viral pneumonia and ibuprofen was also found, though it could not be determined whether illness had affected her physical condition that night.

Defence argument

Thomas P pleaded not guilty and expressed deep regret in court. He said he loved his girlfriend and that they had planned the trip together. His lawyer argued the couple faced a rapidly worsening situation near the summit and that Kerstin G had asked him to seek help.

Her parents told the court she had been active in mountaineering since 2020 and would not have undertaken the climb without understanding the risks.

The case has prompted debate within Austria and international climbing communities about the boundary between personal risk-taking and criminal responsibility. The verdict is subject to appeal.