Italian scientists who were controversially given prison sentences in the aftermath of the L'Aquila earthquake provided "ineffective" advice, resulting in many needless deaths, judges have said.
"Lives could have been saved," had the six scientists, who met in the mountain city six days before the disaster, had given clearer warning of the possibility of a major quake, the judges said.
In October, the experts, along with a government official, were found guilty on multiple manslaughter charges by a court in L'Aquila and given six year jail sentences and ordered to pay more than £6.7 million in damages, in a case which was condemned by the scientific community.
The judges have now published their 950-page explanation for the sentences.
The 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit L'Aquila and surrounding villages on April 6, 2009, devastating the Italian city's medieval core, flattening homes and offices and killing more than 300 people. Tens of thousands were left homeless.
The scientists who were put on trial likened themselves to Galileo being tried for heresy, insisting that it is technically impossible to predict an earthquake.
No comments:
Post a Comment