More than a year after a 33-year-old woman froze to death on Austria’s highest mountain, her boyfriend goes on trial on Thursday accused of gross negligent manslaughter.
Kerstin G died of hypothermia on a mountain climbing trip to the Grossglockner that went horribly wrong. Her boyfriend is accused of leaving her unprotected and exhausted close to the summit in stormy conditions in the early hours of 19 January 2025, while he went to get help.
The trial has sparked interest and debate, not just in Austria but in mountain climbing communities far beyond its borders.
The article states, that they passed a place called Frühstücksplatz, that literally translates to “breakfast point” at 13:30.
To me, that alone would be a red flag. But then again, it was stated, that going for a night climb, was the intent of the trip. And of course a night climb to the Grossglockner in the midst of winter is a reckless ordeal in the first place. That should have been obvious for both of them.
It’s an interesting question who is responsible over another and there are some details in this story, that really make you wonder what was going on there. But not nearly enough detail to judge any of it.