Asbestos Litigation

The asbestos contamination that plagued a number of Italian towns as a result of the Eternit factory's operations had seemingly been at the forefront of the minds of local politicians looking to serve justice.

However, the decision by the Casale town council and mayor on December 16 to accept a settlement from one of the Eternit executives on trial suggests this progress towards seeking justice has been completely disrupted.

Laurie Kazan-Allen, the Coordinator of International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS), is calling on people around the world who are outraged as a result of this settlement to express their solidarity with the victims and let their voices be heard.

While these innocent people suffer from a range of illnesses including asbestosis, lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma, Casale Monferrato's mayor and town council can count their money. In what some people have termed a "pact with the devil," these politicians have agreed to let Eternit executive Stephen Schmidheiny skirt the legal system not only in this instance, but in any future cases in return for 18.3 million euros.

Unfortunately, December 16, 2011, will go down in history as a dark day for asbestos victims, who continue their brave fight towards justice.