An
Italian court on Monday convicted seven scientists and experts of manslaughter
for underestimating the risks of a killer earthquake and failing to adequately
warn citizens before it struck the central Italian town of L'Aquila
More
than 300 people were killed, tens of thousands were left homeless, and the town's
historic center and medieval churches were destroyed in the 6.3-magnitude quake.
Prosecutors
argued that the defendants - members of a national panel that assesses major
risks - offered "incomplete, imprecise and contradictory information"
to residents. The international scientific community denounced the trial, noting
that predicting earthquakes is impossible. Even early warning systems, which
rely on a network of sensors to detect surface seismic waves that precede
larger quakes, can provide residents only 10 to 60 seconds advance notice, and
then, only in areas where those sensors are in place.
After
the April quake, seismologists and other experts blamed lax building codes for
the deaths and damage. In many earthquake-prone parts of the world, shoddy
construction practices lead to many more deaths than would occur if homes and
other buildings were more structurally sound.
The
trial opened last September and was adjourned for more than a year, until
resuming this month. The defendants have been sentenced to six years in prison,
but they are unlikely to face jail while their legal appeals are pending.
Some
observers have expressed concern that the convictions will make other experts
and public officials reluctant to share their expertise, to avoid any legal
repercussions. ---VOA News
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