An Italian court has sentenced a group of six scientists and a government official to six years in jail after finding them guilty of manslaughter because they failed to warn residents of L'Aquila, Italy, ahead of a devastating earthquake that killed 308 people in 2009. The defendants were members of a Major Risks Committee assembled to assess the potential danger of a major quake after several small tremors shook the region. The group concluded that it was impossible for them to predict whether a stronger temblor would follow, and one of the scientists famously advised locals to relax with a glass of wine — six days before the deadly quake struck. Many relatives of the dead are pleased with Monday's verdict, but members of the scientific community are aghast, arguing that nobody can predict when earthquakes will hit. Is there any justification for punishing the experts when they get it so wrong?
This is a travesty: "The L'Aquila disaster is an extraordinary tragedy," says Tom Chivers at Britain's Telegraph. Many survivors, understandably, want someone to blame. "The L'Aquila seven will have to live with what happened for the rest of their lives. But jailing scientists for making a (presumably honest) prediction to the best of their knowledge is a startlingly stupid idea."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Foreigners in Spain facing a 100% tax on homes as the country battles a housing crisisUnder the Radar The goal is to provide 'more housing, better regulation and greater aid,' said Spain's prime minister
-
Codeword: January 22, 2025The Week's daily codeword puzzle
-
Sudoku medium: January 22, 2025The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
