A very quick post with regard to the findings of the L’Aquila earthquake trial. For those who did not know, yesterday saw the end of a 13-month trial where six scientists and one government official have been found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to six years in prison. The verdict was based on how they assessed and communicated risk before the earthquake that hit the city of L’Aquila on 6 April 2009, killing 309 people.
This story is covered in detail on numerous online forums (see links below) and really does open the debate for the communication of geomorphic risk in an increasingly legal society.
Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/22/us-science-manslaughter-italy-idUSBRE89L1IC20121022
Nature : http://www.nature.com/news/italian-court-finds-seismologists-guilty-of-manslaughter-1.11640
Zmie Science : http://www.zmescience.com/science/geology/italian-seismologists-trial-18022012/
Scientific American : http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2011/10/20/italian-seismologists-on-trial-for-failing-to-communicate-well/
Geology for Global Development: ttp://blogs.egu.eu/gfgd/2012/10/23/guilty-laquila-earthquake-scientists-sentenced-to-6-years-imprisonment/
BSG Postgraduate Blog 