Italy scientists sentenced to jail in quake trial
By Angelo Abuda
@aabuda (1722)
Philippines
October 23, 2012 6:19am CST
I am dismayed with the news today...because six Italian scientists and a government official were sentenced to six years in jail on Monday for multiple manslaughter in a watershed ruling that found them guilty of underestimating the risks of a killer earthquake in 2009.
The court says that the scientist provided an incomplete, inept, unsuitable and criminally mistaken analysis, which reassured locals and led many to stay indoors when the first tremors hit.
What about you guys? Do you agree with the courts ruling in the case? I think Science will not always be perfect especially that no scientific instruments yet has ever been developed in order to forecast earthquake....and yet, those helpless scientist will likely to pay for their wrong interpretations on forecasting...
4 responses
@franseman (516)
• Philippines
26 Oct 12
It's history repeating: scientists get the blame. No that makes one wonder if scientists don't do any research at all. Who then will get the blame? More often than not it's the government that fails to react in a proper way. But hey! THEY are the government!! You can't bring THEM to jail. So the scientists have to bleed. It's a disgusting mechanism.
@aabuda (1722)
• Philippines
2 Nov 12
Yes....we have also to take into consideration the outcome of the ruling of the court....what if Scientist will stop doing research for fear that they will be put to jail? What will happen to the entire humanity?
@maximax8 (31046)
• United Kingdom
23 Oct 12
Earlier this year I visited my dear friend that lives in Chile. Whilst there we experienced two earthquakes. The first one I was in bed asleep but it woke up very scared. The second I was inside my friend's house in the daytime. It terrified me to see the glass windows shaking. I was ever so scared. My dear friend experienced a much stronger earthquake in 2010. I am grateful her house is strong and she lives in a developed country. Had we been in Haiti we would have lost our lives in one of those earthquakes very likely. Science is hard to predict. I feel sorry for the scientists and government official put into jail for underestimating the killer earthquake in 2009. I disagree with the courts. The past is known about, the future unfolds right now and the future is a mystery. Science is not always perfect and Mother Nature is full of surprises. Others will be afraid to predict earthquakes and how bad they will be in the future.
@aabuda (1722)
• Philippines
23 Oct 12
Very well said...I definitely agree with you...thanks for sharing your thoughts on the issue....
@aabuda (1722)
• Philippines
23 Oct 12
Yes...and I feel pity to the scientist....who did nothing but to save humanity from that disaster...only that Mother Nature is hard predict that they did not predicted it correctly.
@subhojit10 (7375)
• India
23 Oct 12
Thanks a ton for posting this discussion. well even i was left shocked after reading your discussion, i think i am completely against the ruling of the court and i think they should have rather gone through the whole experiment process and then should have taken the decision. We should be grateful to them that they are planning to build a device that can detect earthquakes and see what kind of treatment they are made to face.
What say?
