A mountaineer who brought his girlfriend on a challenging climb in the Austrian winter, then left her behind when she got into trouble, was convicted Thursday of gross negligent manslaughter for her death by hypothermia.
In a case that has made global headlines, the 33 year-old woman, identified by the court as Kerstin G, died in January 2025 as the couple attempted a nighttime climb of Grossglockner Mountain, the highest in Austria.
A court in the city of Innsbruck found her 37-year-old partner guilty over her death and gave him a suspended sentence of five months in prison, news agency APA reported.
The case has drawn international media attention, stirring debate over the limits of responsibility for others and the right way to react when nature turns ugly.
The judge said in his ruling the ascent of the 3,798-metre (12,460-foot) peak was "1,000 leagues beyond" the woman's mountaineering level, and that she had placed herself "under the responsibility" of her more-experienced partner, who was not named by the court.
He found the couple were underprepared and ill-equipped for the climb, and failed to take appropriate action when weather conditions turned extreme.
The man, who pleaded not guilty, says the situation spun out of control mid-climb when his girlfriend found she could no longer go on.
According to his account, the couple agreed he would leave her behind and descend the mountain alone to get help.
Her body was found the following morning.
Lab analysis later found she had a viral infection.
An ex-girlfriend testified in court the 37-year-old mountaineer had once climbed Grossglockner with her and "left me alone in the middle of the night" because he said she was too slow.
He told her not to "make a big deal out of it", she said.
The man, who can appeal, was also fined 9,400 euros ($11,060).
