Eternit Pre-Trial Manoeuvre to impoverish the plaintiff

[Asbestos Victims Families Casale]

Right a month before the beginning of the trial, a new proposal has been made by Becon (a firm linked to Schmidheiny) in order to pay compensation to the citizens of Casale victims of the asbestos and enrolled in the list of the trial.

It would be the first time ever that such an offer is made to people who have never worked with Eternit. The acceptance of this offer automatically decree the exit from the plaintiff.
The offer amounts up to 30,000 € to each victim who has lived in Casale since 1973 (when the Swiss management started) and who have got ill after 1988 (the minimum incubation time of 15 years). Up to now there haven't been many positive answers: the victims or their heirs wouldn't accept because for most of them there's no statute of limitations.

According to the Becon, the offer" has been made considering the high number of victims in that community", underlining anyway the fact that this offer is made as " a sign of solidarity", in fact, says the Becon, during the period of the Swiss management of Eternit, the distribution of "polverino" (the asbestos powder main or maybe only responsible for the pollution in Casale Monferrato) had already stopped.

The Association of Asbestos Victims Families of Casale Monferrato and its President Ms Romana Blasotti Pavesi are firmly against the proposal. After stopping the negotation for one only global compensation by Becon, 2 years ago, this is the second time that a one-side compensation is offered, again without negotation or agreement.
The amount affored is anyway too small if compared to the damage and doesn't include the victims who have never lived in Casale, so what about them?

Those are the defendant's manoeuvre to impoverish the plaintiff and many people they're going for the money (especially the former employeers who know that the crime cease to be valid as a result of the statute of limitations).
But many others not, and we'll have a plaintiff representative of the huge tragedy of the epidemic.
The Association, however, points out that the offer means an admission of responsibility for this huge and unbelievable massacre. The struggle will continue.

[Niccolò Bruna]

Niccolò Bruna said:

Let's recap.
If I'm not wrong this is the third official compensation offer. The first time was in 2007, a 3 million euros donation to the city of Casale by Thomas Schmidheiny, a "filantropic gesture" to sign his outflow from the trial. The second (october 2008) it has been addressed by Stephan Schmidheiny to the former workers of Eternit from his management period, up to 60.000 for each compensation. Then, on January 2009, 5,5 million euros has been finally retrieved from the bankruptcy legal action. This proceedings started in 1986 has been resolved now: it has taken 22 years to get it. So this bid (March 4th, 2009), up to 30.000 euros for the Casale' victims whom lived in town from 1973 and get sick after 1988, it's the third offer proposed by the defendants. I think it's the very first time an economic offer is considering the citizens and the victims of the enviromental exposiotion.

[Enzo Ferrara]

According to my knowledge, a compensation offer has to be serously considered in such complex trials as those relating with occupational exposure to chemical hazards, especially in Italy, where processes can last decedes. However, the amount offered to the victims, i.e. 30.000 euros each, is outraging. I think at least ten times this sum could be accepted. In our country (ITaly) for the Vajont tragedy (1963), they had 6.000.000 liras for each causalty. More recently, in Priolo, because of the teratogenic effects due to Hg waste, which caused micarries and serious health problems to newborns, 100 families had about 26 billions altogether, if I am not wrong. In two or three cases, they received 2.000.000 euro for the offended child health.

Ciao, Enzo