Is Italy Crazy, or Is There More To This Story?

[bayonetbrant]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/10/22/italy-earthquake-scientists-trial.html

Italian scientists guilty of manslaughter in 2009 earthquake
Experts sentenced to six years in prison for insufficiently warning victims

Seven scientists and experts on trial for manslaughter linked to an earthquake in Italy that killed more than 300 people have been convicted and sentenced to six years in prison, a court has ruled.

The victims of the earthquake in L'Aquila have also been awarded between €40,000 to €450,000 ($52,000 to $584,000 Cdn), said freelance journalist Megan Williams.

Italian prosecutors say that the scientists gave inaccurate and incomplete information about whether smaller tremors before the April 2009 quake should have been grounds for an official warning.

The 6.9 magnitude earthquake left 309 people dead and injured more than 1,500 others.

Judge Marco Billi took slightly more than four hours to reach the verdict, the BBC reported.

In Italy, convictions aren't definitive until after an appeals trial, so it is unlikely any of the defendants would face jail immediately.

more at the link

[Sigma One]

I believe the issue here is that while mostly earthquakes are hard to predict, aftershocks, tremors, and even another earthquake can quickly happen. What the scientists here did was give the all-clear despite the high probability of additional tremors and shocks, which caused everyone to return to the crowded trouble areas and the rest is history.

Although its a bit odd to charge people with manslaughter over acts of nature such as this.

[besilarius]

Very few mad scientists are characterised as having Italian accents.

[Staggerwing]

What about Dr. Emilio Lizardo?

[LongBlade]

Why else do we have scientists except to flog them when they don't predict earthquakes?

[TheCommandTent]

Everyone is always looking to blame someone.  You would think they could just penalize them professionally instead of locking them up.

[besilarius]

Mussolini lives!
Now the earthquakes will run on time.

[LongBlade]

Mussolini lives!
Now the earthquakes will run on time.

LOL

[airboy]

I read about this in the Wall St. Journal today.

The obvious outcome if this verdict stands is to either:
a] refuse to make any predictions of anything of consequence
or
b] at the slightest sign predict the greatest cataclism possible

The WSJ story said that various weather forecasters in the USA have been sued on similar grounds and that every case was either tossed before trial or lost in trial.

On the other hand, Obama spent more than $800 million on a stimulus that did not deliver the goods.  Should his 2009 economic team be sent to prision if they were Italians?

[Con]

Don't want to derail this thread but saw a good article on the stimulus that is based on all the numbers and I would say that his economic team would not get convicted based evidence

http://www.pitbulleconomics.com/stimulus.pdf

Con

[Longdan]

There is a different outlook on responsibility in a lot of places overseas.
People who on this side of the water may be protected by their government
or corporation like air traffic controllers and railroad or highway workers
can be held personally liable for negligence in many European juridictions.
On the main topic.. Italy may be judged to be crazy.  My opinion only but.....
How many governments have they elected and unelected since the return
of democracy?  And Silvio Berlusconi?  The guy could be a guest on Jerry Springer.
"How I turned my country's government into a stag party with lots of corruption,
scandal and plenty of HOT CHICS!!"
cheers