Wing Launch - Can it pull your wings off?

I was sent this link from a UK soaring friend of mine about a death
when the wings came off of a glider during a winch tow.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ll-glider.html

Sad story. A few things;

- My friend's thought was that the wing pins were left out. Howerver,
this was the second flight of the day. Both winch launches. So I
would think that the wing pins were installed but the wings failed
under a winch load. Which glider was it? Older? Wooden spars?
Never having had a winch launch, what happens if you don't release
back pressure at the top? Can you pull your wings off? Maybe
safeties on the pins were missed and the pins wiggled out on the
second flight after staying in for the first.

- I was under the impression that the BGA required parachutes for all
pilots. Wrong? 1000 ft should have been enough to get out in time
but who knows what was happening in the cockpit or if she was 1000 MSL
or AGL at the time.

Thanks.

- John DeRosa