In a Mammutprozess surrounding the death of thousands of Italian workers as a result of asbestos poisoning high prison terms imposed in Turin, Italy. The Court sentenced the former owner of the Swiss asbestos manufacturing company Eternit and ex-manager of Eternit Italy in the first instance to each 16 years prison. Prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello spoke of a historic process, the world's largest in the history of workplace safety.
The defendants, the Swiss billionaire and entrepreneur Stephan Schmidheiny and his Belgian partner of Baron Louis de Cartier, were not present at the delivery of the judgment. They were accused of intentional disaster. The defence had rejected a direct responsibility of their clients for the deaths and had demanded acquittal. You spoke of serious procedural defects and announced appointment.
The Court is convinced that the accused caused an ecological disaster and disregarded safety rules in the at the time four Italian Eternit factories. Thus, they were responsible for the deaths of about 3,000 people in Italy. The prosecution had demanded 20 years imprisonment and damages in the millions. Approximately 1,500 relatives of victims, survivors and supporters followed the sentencing in the Northern Italian industrial city.
Schmidheiny had offered compensation those affected and the municipality of Casale Monferrato, established a production facility of Eternit, which however was rejected. Alone in Casale, 1,800 people to asbestos poisoning should died his and annual 50 new cases are added. In total, about 6,000 former employees, local residents and relatives of victims for damages had charged with.
The trial in Turin had begun in December 2009 after more than five years of investigation, the two defendants were present in any of the days of the process. According to the Prosecutor's Office is the largest process that ever ran in the argument with the once alleged miracle fiber asbestos. The Italian branch of Eternit had declared 1986 bankruptcy - six years before was banned asbestos in Italy.
Due to its high heat resistance and good insulation properties, especially asbestos cement was long employed in the construction industry. Since the major threats to health are demonstrated, asbestos in the EU is prohibited.
