• A 37-year-old climber was convicted of manslaughter for leaving his girlfriend on a mountain.
• The court gave him a suspended sentence and a fine for causing her death due to neglect.
• The case raises questions about legal liabilities in high-risk climbing situations.

An Austrian court has convicted a 37-year-old amateur mountaineer of manslaughter after his girlfriend froze to death as they attempted to climb Grossglockner, Austria's highest peak, in January 2025. The court in Innsbruck handed down a five-month suspended prison sentence and a €9,400 (US$11,100) fine for causing her death by gross negligence, despite the defendant pleading not guilty, according to SCMP and Reuters.

The circumstances of the case revealed that the defendant, identified as Thomas P., left his girlfriend Kerstin G. below the summit to fetch help when she became unable to continue. Judge Norbert Hofer stated that while Thomas P. had misjudged the situation, he did not deliberately abandon her, though he failed to take crucial leadership responsibilities. “The woman would almost certainly have survived if the appropriate measures had been taken,” the judge noted, citing missed opportunities to turn back or call for help sooner, according to Channel News Asia and LATimes.

During the trial, evidence was presented indicating a series of errors made by Thomas P., including failing to adequately prepare his girlfriend for the harsh conditions and not using her emergency gear. He reportedly left her, exposed to strong winds, without proper protection. While he maintained that they had made joint decisions for their climb, the judge emphasized the disparity in their mountaineering skills, stating that Kerstin's abilities were significantly lower than his own, which raised questions about his duty of care, according to SCMP and Reuters.