That sucks big time.
Best you can do (unless you track this bloke down and cut off his fingers so he has to type his next email with his freakin nose) is not to let your Mum get to distressed. Have her believe the guy really did get stabbed or whatever as long as she does not get to worked up.
If you take a stoic attitude, its pretty good that your Mum at 80 years of age is able to tour Vienna.
