Scientists found guilty of manslaughter for failing to predict deadly quake
Source: globalpost.com
Six scientists and a government official given six years of jail in Italy for alleged failure to warn public of deadly quake, which killed 309 people in 2009.
It’s official: six Italian scientists and a government official have been sentenced to six years of jail in Italy. Their crime? Failing to predict the 2009 L’aquila quake that killed 309 in the historic central Italian city.
The BBC reports the men, all members of the National Commission for the Forecast and Prevention of Major Risks, were found guilty of manslaughter on Monday, accused of giving the public " "inexact, incomplete and contradictory" information about the earthquake threat.
Prosecutors claimed the scientists and the official in question gave a "falsely reassuring" statement before the earthquake occurred, apparently persuading some people to stay put instead of fleeing the area.It’s a case that has horrified the scientific world, as many feel that it sets a very disturbing precedent for other researchers who make predictions about potentially deadly events as part of their day-to-day-jobs.
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Read the full article at: globalpost.com
Uproar as scientists sentenced to jail for giving the all clear before L’Aquila quake
