Val Thorens ski instructor charged with manslaughter

A ski instructor from Val Thorens has been charged with manslaughter following the death of an off-piste skier in an avalanche in December 2009. The man was sentenced on Monday to one year suspended sentence by the Criminal Court of Albertville.

The 34 year old ski instructor, was prosecuted for breaching safety rules which resulted in accidentally triggered an avalanche that killed a skier below him. The man was given six-months suspended sentence and a five year ban for failing to comply with the distances between skiers off-piste.
The victim was skiing with a guide on the off-piste area of Orelle - the guide was sentenced to two months.