“It makes me angry that Kerstin is being portrayed as a naive little thing who let herself be dragged up the mountain,” she told German newspaper Die Zeit from her home in Salzburg.
“And I think it’s unfair how Kerstin’s boyfriend is being treated. There’s a witch hunt against him in the media and online.”
Chilling webcam images showed the lights of the two climbers glowing at around 6pm as they were climbing up on January 18.
But just six hours later, with low batteries, the lights began to dim and the woman’s strength gave out.
An image captured at around 2.30am showed the boyfriend pushing on alone to descend to the other side of the Grossglockner.
The image was taken after he allegedly left his partner in the freezing snow.
Footage from early the next day captured a helicopter flying over the mountain as part of a rescue mission.
Gertraud insisted that Kerstin and Plamberger would always agree on routes to take when climbing and prosecutors were treating him unfairly.
“The two of them always made their decisions together. If Kerstin disagreed, they didn’t go on a mountain tour – or her boyfriend went on it alone,” Gertraud continued.
“Therefore, he didn’t deserve to be held responsible as a guide. But one thing is certain for me: My daughter’s death was the result of a tragic chain of unfortunate circumstances. I don’t want to blame my daughter’s boyfriend for it.”
But investigating authorities took a much different stance.
“Since the defendant, unlike his girlfriend, was already very experienced with alpine high-altitude tours and had planned the tour, he was to be considered the responsible guide of the tour,” they said.
Investigators say the pair battled winds up to 74km/h and below-freezing temperatures.
Despite that, Kerstin attempted the final stretch with a splitboard and soft snow boots, gear climbers call totally unsuitable for a high-alpine tour in mixed terrain.
Prosecutors claim the couple had already started the ascent around two hours late and carried no proper emergency kit.
A forensic probe followed the tragedy, including analysis of phones, sports watches, photos, videos and expert alpine assessments.
Investigators say the man ignored his partner’s inexperience and failed to turn back long before darkness set in.
He is also accused of not calling emergency services before nightfall and of staying silent even when a police helicopter flew overhead at 10.50pm.
“For us as parents, it’s not about assigning blame, but about understanding, providing information, and doing justice to our daughter and her dreams,” Gertraud said.
“[My daughter] loved the mountains. And the mountains, as we know, have two sides. Joy and sorrow are closely intertwined.
“Many people who blame Kerstin’s boyfriend have never been in such a situation. I hope they never find themselves in such an exceptional situation.
“Because nobody knows how they’ll react then. It’s easy to be a hero in the comfort of your own home.”
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