Italy disaster experts quit, upset by quake trial

Bernardo De Bernardinis, who in 2009 was deputy chief of Italy's Civil Protection Department, reacts Oct. 22, 2012, in L'Aquila, Italy, during a session of the court in charge of the trial of six Italian scientists and a government official charged with manslaughter for underestimating the risks of a 2009 earthquake. / AFP/Getty Images

Updated 4:59 PM ET

ROME Four top Italian disaster experts have quit their jobs, saying the convictions of several former colleagues for failing to adequately warn of a deadly 2009 earthquake means they can't properly perform their duties.

A court on Monday convicted seven former members of Italy's so-called "Great Risks Commission" on manslaughter charges, giving each a six-year prison sentence.

Commission President Luciano Maiani and two other members resigned, along with a top official for earthquake and volcano risk in the national Department of Civil Protection. Maiani said Monday's court ruling made it impossible to work in a "calm and efficient" way

Prosecutors alleged the defendants didn't properly inform residents of L'Aquila town of the risk for a big quake following weeks of small tremors. According to CBS News correspondent Allen Pizzey, the prosecution argued that data analysis was done improperly and that in spite of good data, the scientists failed to give adequate warning that a major earthquake could be imminent

• Italian scientists convicted for not warning about deadly 2009 quake
• Italian scientists on trial for failing to predict deadly quake
• Photos: Italian earthquake

With the verdict, `'we understood why the Great Risks Commission has that name," a front-page commentary began in Corriere della Sera, a Milan daily. "The great risks are those to its members, as one deduces from the verdict."

Senate President Renato Schifani has called the convictions and prison terms `'strange, embarrassing."

Many scientists and commentators have noted that the court case failed to address a major cause of fatalities in disasters like quakes and mudslides: erecting homes, schools, hospitals and other public buildings on quake-prone terrain without the proper construction techniques or materials to make the structures more resilient.

After the April 2009 quake, which left 308 people dead, many experts said that the 6.3-magnitude temblor wouldn't have caused such extensive damage if buildings been constructed or retrofitted to meet modern quake zone construction standards.

20 Photos

Deadly Earthquake In Italy

Dr. Tom Jordan, the director of the southern California Earthquake Center, told Pizzey that the trial sets a bad precedent of holding scientists to unrealistic standards.

"This trial has raised huge concerns within the scientific community because here you have a number of scientists who are simply doing their job being prosecuted for criminal manslaughter and I think that scares all of us who are involved in risk communication."

In Washington, the American Geophysical Union described the verdict and prison sentences as `'troubling," and expressed concern that they could `'ultimately be harmful to international efforts to understand natural disasters and mitigate associated risk."

`'While the facts of the L'Aquila case are complex, the unfettered exchange of data and information, as well as the freedom and encouragement to participate in open discussions and to communicate results, are essential to the success of any type of scientific research," the union, a professional and scientific organization with members from over 146 countries, said in a statement Tuesday.

[Steveb000007]

The scientists were perfectly correct in their evaluation of the earthquake probability - just because the probability is low it doesn't mean it won't happen .
The chances of you winning the lottery are very low but someone wins every week!
This is about as rediculous as suing the Catholic church because God was responsible !
I am just amazed !!,

[pbaird2]

What is next? Blame the television weatherman for mis-prognosticating the weather? It rains on your wedding so you sue the TV station? When will humans accept we cannot control nature?

[insuranceChief]

Scientists will stick by scientist, Police will stick by police and most professions do as well.

It is strange veredict, but not knowing the details of the case or what data the scientist/officials sat on I will not make any opinions on the outcome of the case.

For those arrogant ignorant people that are dumping on the Italians, let me remind you Italy was the birth of civilization and most of what you are today you owe to the Romans/Italians.

Being from Florida where all is new and supposed to be hurricane resistant, I am in favor of earthquake resistant building where earthquakes are possible, I believe all new construction must be build to newer standards, but how do you retrofit buildings/houses build decades or even hundreds of years ago?

[pbaird2]

Italy was not the birth of civilization, no matter what Italians and those of Italian decent would like to believe. Ironically, the middle east had the first substantial modern civilization and developed the first forms of writing. Italy (Rome) became one of the great civilizations and gave the world a great deal until their demise by the barbarians.

[1957vw]

The scientists said everything was ok after the initial tremors, people went back into their houses, the big earthquake then happened, and people died. It's pretty clear cut, doctors get sued all the time when they give wrong advice, I don't see a problem at all.

[Chiperoni]

This proves Italians are idiots....lol

[matt6052]

They reassured the public that there was almost no danger of a serious earthquake. Then one happened.

[kbbpll]

They just needed to have Mafia connections like the building contractors who actually killed people.

[FromCalifornia]

So to be a Judge in Italy you have to be picked at random, have an IQ below room temperature, be illiterate, blind and stupid? And get paid? I want in!

[lami987]

Are those banksters who ruined Italian economy in prison?

[warner0683]

This sits terrible precedent. I hope Italy can't find anyone willing to take these and other similar jobs.