Italian scientists guilty of manslaughter

[cronus]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20025626

L'Aquila quake: Italy scientists guilty of manslaughter

Six Italian scientists and an ex-government official have been sentenced to six years in prison over the 2009 deadly earthquake in L'Aquila.

A regional court found them guilty of multiple manslaughter.

Prosecutors said the defendants gave a falsely reassuring statement before the quake, while the defence maintained there was no way to predict major quakes.

The 6.3 magnitude quake devastated the city and killed 309 people.

(continued, unlucky but they gambled on lives?) )

[klr]

Say goodbye to weather forecasting if this judgement sticks - which is highly unlikely.

[cronus]

Say goodbye to weather forecasting if this judgement sticks - which is highly unlikely.

Earthquakes happen....seems they did a Michael Fish.

[mistermack]

What a weird job they have anyway.
I've never seen anything written anywhere, that suggests that earthquakes are predicable, short term.
And they are talking VERY short term.

I don't know what they said, but if it was anything more certain than, "you just can't tell",
then they were extremely rash.
If their job is to pronounce on something that can't be predicted, it's a crazy job description.

You certainly are gambling with people's lives, if you tell them it's safe.
Sounds like they gambled and lost.

[Pappa]

Say goodbye to weather forecasting if this judgement sticks - which is highly unlikely.

Exactly how unlikely?

[Audley Strange]

I fucking hate weather forecasts, why not just have old moore's almanac readings at the end of the news?

[klr]

Say goodbye to weather forecasting if this judgement sticks - which is highly unlikely.

Exactly how unlikely?

"Appeals process"

[Svartalf]

Say goodbye to weather forecasting if this judgement sticks - which is highly unlikely.

It's Italy. Their justice already is infamous for unreliability and individual judges coming up with patently absurd decisions. The scientists are only going to relocate and spread the horror story abroad... I bet even fellow EU countries will give them political asylum in such a case.

[Cormac]

Say goodbye to weather forecasting if this judgement sticks - which is highly unlikely.

Exactly how unlikely?

"Appeals process"

Here's hoping.

Why didn't they get the ducking stool out while they were at it. Talk about actual prejudice.

A travesty of justice.

[JimC]

They may have required a reprimand by whoever employs them, but that would be the limit, surely...

Dumb wops...

[Cormac]

They may have required a reprimand by whoever employs them, but that would be the limit, surely...

Dumb wops...

I don't even think that. Can you imagine their horror, having said that there was no danger of an earthquake, to then have that happen? I think they'll suffer an internal torture for the rest of their lives.

[Blind groper]

IIRC they said nothing culpable at all. Just that a large earthquake was not highly probable, which by the data available was true.

[Warren Dew]

The scientists were clearly witches, and need to be burned at the stake, in the great tradition of Italian justice!

[JimC]

IIRC they said nothing culpable at all. Just that a large earthquake was not highly probable, which by the data available was true.

They have taught scientists the world over a very valuable lesson...

Don't say anything to the fucking public!

[Clinton Huxley]

I think they might struggle to backfill those jobs