A court in Innsbruck has found Thomas P, a 37-year-old amateur mountaineer, guilty of gross negligent manslaughter after his girlfriend, Kerstin G, died on Austria’s highest mountain.
He left her behind on the Großglockner after they ran into serious trouble near the summit.
Austria tragedy: Amateur mountaineer charged with manslaughter
The judge gave Thomas a five-month suspended sentence and hit him with a €9,400 fine. Gross negligence led to Kerstin’s death back in January 2025, and that charge can mean up to three years in prison.
The case grabbed a lot of attention, especially from climbers everywhere. Prosecutions like this rarely happen after climbing accidents, so the mountaineering world watched closely.
Experts believe this verdict could change how people think about responsibility and safety in mountain sports across borders.
Thomas P pleads not guilty
Thomas told the court he wasn’t guilty. He said he was “endlessly sorry” for what happened, and his lawyer called it a “tragic accident.”
In court, the story unfolded like this: After a brutal day of climbing in cold, Thomas and Kerstin fell way behind schedule. By the time darkness set in, they were just 50 meters from the summit. Kerstin, only 33, was worn out and couldn’t go any further.
Thomas said it was “very stressful.” He admitted he left her on an exposed ridge to go find help, with strong winds battering the mountain. He couldn’t say why he didn’t tuck her into the emergency blanket she had or put her in the bivouac bag — both were still in her backpack when rescuers found her body.
Former Girlfriend called to the witness: Left her on the road at night
A former girlfriend who was called to the witness stand said that she too had hiked up the Großglockner with Thomas P in 2023. She claimed that he had left her on the road at night when her head torch ran out of battery, which left her in distress.
Webcam shots depicting Thomas P and Kerstin G climbing the mountain and Thomas P descending alone to the mountain were presented in court. His torch flashed light upon the snow-white mountain.
Norbert Hofer, an experienced mountaineer, who served as the presiding judge, decided that the defendant had been negligent in not filling in that Kerstin G would not make the climb at least long in advance of the two getting into trouble.
“I do not see you as a murderer. I never consider you a cold-hearted man, I said to Thomas P as I passed the sentence, and admitted that he had had to go to raise help.
Nevertheless, he claimed that since the defendant was galaxies more skilled a mountaineer than his girlfriend, and she had put herself in his care, he was responsible for her demise.
