Mountain climber enta gbege on top accuse say e leave im girlfriend to die on Austria highest mountain

More dan one year afta one 33-year-old woman freeze to death on Austria highest mountain, her boyfriend dey go trial on Thursday on top accuse of gross negligent manslaughter.

Kerstin G die of hypothermia for one mountain climbing trip to di Grossglockner, di trip bin go horribly wrong.

Prosecutors don accuse her boyfriend say e leave her unprotected and tired close to di summit in stormy conditions for di early hours of 19 January 2025, while e go find help.

Di trial don spark interest and debate, no be only for Austria but for mountain climbing communities far beyond dia borders.

Prosecutors tok say, as di more experienced climber, di man wey dey on trial na "di responsible guide for di tour" and e fail to turn back or quick call for support to help im girlfriend.

Austria media bin identify di man as Thomas P, e deny di charges and im lawyer, Kurt Jelinek, describe di woman death as "a tragic accident."

Di tragedy unfold afta di couple begin climb di 3,798m (12,460ft) Grossglockner.

Prosecutors accuse Thomas P say e make mistakes from di beginning and dem publish a list of 9 errors.

Di question wey pipo dey ask now na wen personal judgement and risk-taking bicom matter of criminal liability.

If di court find di climber guilty, e go mean "a paradigm shift for mountain sports", Austria Der Standard newspaper tok.

Key to di case na di charge by di state prosecutors for Innsbruck, wey say dem consider am as di "responsible guide for di tour", as "unlike im girlfriend [e already dey] very experienced in high-altitude Alpine tours and na im plan di tour".

Dem say e go di trip even though im girlfriend "no ever go on Alpine tour of dis length, difficulty, and altitude bifor, and despite di challenging winter conditions".

Dem also allege say e out two hours too late and e fail to take "enough emergency bivouac equipment".

E also "allow im girlfriend to use... snowboard soft boots, equipment wey no dey suitable for high-altitude tour for mixed terrain", prosecutors tok.

Di defendant no agree on dis. For statement, im lawyer Kurt Jelinek, tok say di couple bin plan di tour togeda.

"Both reason demsefs... to be sufficiently experienced, adequately prepared, and well equipped," e tok. Both of dem get "relevant Alpine experience" and dem dey "in very good physical condition".

Once on di mountain, prosecutors tok say di man suppose don turn back, wen e still dey possible, sake of strong winds of up to 74km/h (45mph), plus di winter cold. E bin dey for -8C, wit windchill temperature of -20, dem tok.

Di couple still no turn back.

Accounts of wetin happun next get different versions.

According to di defendant's lawyer, dem reach one place wey di name na Frühstücksplatz for13:30 on 18 January, wey be di point of di tour, afta which dem no fit turn back bifor di summit.

As di two of dem no dey "exhausted or overwhelmed, dem carry on", Kurt Jelinek tok.

Prosecutors say di couple hook at about 20:50 and di man fail to call di police and e no send any distress signals wen one police helicopter fly above dem around 22:50.

Di boyfriend lawyer tok say at dat point, im client and im girlfriend still dey okay and dem no call for help as dem dey close to di summit.

Webcam images show lights from dia torches as dem climb di mountain.

But shortly afterwards, Oga Jelinek tok say di situation bin change dramatically. To di man "complete surprise", di woman "suddenly show increased signs of exhaustion", and by den turning back don dey too late.

At 00:35 on 19 January, e call mountain police. Di content of di conversation no dey clear but di lawyer tok say na help e ask for and e deny say im tell police say evritin dey okay.

Police allege say afta di call, e put im fone on silent and no take any more calls.

Kurt Jelinek tok say di couple bin manage to reach one area wey dey about 40m (130ft) below di cross wey mark di summit of di e leave her to go find help, e climb di summit and descend on di oda, e tok. Prosecutors say e leave her at 02:00am.

Dem capture im torchlit figure on webcam images as e climb down from di top of di mountain.

Prosecutors say e no use aluminium rescue blankets or oda gear to protect her from di cold and e wait until 03:30 bifor e notify emergency services.

At dat time, e probably dey too late. Di strong winds mean say no helicopter rescue for fit happun during di night.

Kerstin G die alone for di snow on top di frozen mountainside.

Her social media feed suggest say she be great mountaineer and her mother tell German media say she love mountain hiking for night.

Thomas P lawyer say im dey "deeply sorry" for her death. "Above all, e go like to express im sincere condolences to di family of di deceased," Mr Jelinek tok.

If found guilty, Thomas P dey face up to three years in prison.

And a guilty verdict fit also get implications for oda mountain climbers, and how much dem go fit dey liable for dia companions in di future.