Five Charged With Manslaughter in Tito Traversa’s Death

Manslaughter charges have been filed against five people in the death of 12-year-old climber Tito Traversa, according to Italian outlet La Repubblica Tornia. Traversa was climbing a route in Orpierre, France, when his anchors failed and he fell some 40 meters to the ground. He was airlifted to a hospital in Grenoble where he died three days later.

Early investigations by French officials revealed that his quickdraws had been incorrectly assembled, with the carabiners threaded only though the rubber keeper, and not through the loop at the end of the quickdraws intended to support a climber’s weight. According to public prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello, who opened the case on August 21st, French police confirmed that eight out of ten of Traversa’s quickdraws were assembled this way.

Among those charged is the owner of the company that produced the rubber keepers without instructions, and the owner of the gear shop that sold the keepers. The manager of the club that organized the climbing trip, as well as two of the instructors who were on site, have also been charged for failing to monitor the assembly of the equipment. 

For more on the potential for liability in outdoor sports:

• In a society where people are increasingly aggressive about putting a price on blame, an expensive new battleground is emerging between insurance companies, professional guides, and you.

• Are you really signing your life away on waivers? We asked a crack team of lawyers to get behind the mumbo jumbo of dense liability forms.