Casale Monferrato, Italy — Nearly two years have passed since Swiss billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny was handed a twelve-year prison sentence by an Italian court for his role in numerous mesothelioma and other asbestos-related deaths. In a recent turn of events, an appeals court has modified Schmidheiny’s conviction in a separate but related case, involving the demise of 91 workers at his company’s Eternit factory. The conviction was recalibrated from manslaughter to involuntary manslaughter, subsequently reducing his sentence by three years.
Schmidheiny, an heir to a building materials empire established in 1867 by his great-grandfather in Switzerland, has been in the limelight for the health repercussions on workers exposed to asbestos at his company’s facilities. The billionaire began his career in the family business in 1974 as a sales manager, ascending to board president of the Swiss Eternit Group, founded by his father, two years later.
The repercussions of asbestos exposure, typically resulting in the deadly lung disease mesothelioma, have been a global concern and the focus of various legal challenges faced by Schmidheiny. Since 2009, he has been entangled in multiple court cases in Italy, accused of involuntary manslaughter over asbestos exposure at the Italian Eternit factories, notably active during the 1970s and 1980s.
Despite the controversies, Schmidheiny’s legal team contends he is not responsible for the asbestos-related tragedies at his facilities. Meanwhile, his company has initiated compensation discussions with over 2,000 victims of diseases linked to asbestos exposure.
Based on the legal proceedings, Schmidheiny was initially sentenced in another case involving a Cavagnolo factory to four years in prison. That sentence was eventually overturned, giving way to a reduced conditional sentence of one year and eighteen months. This illustrates the complexities and protracted nature of the legal battles surrounding asbestos litigation.
Supporting the criminal charges against Schmidheiny, a mesothelioma advocacy group, National Asbestos Observatory, joined forces with attorney Andrea Ferrero Merlino as a civil party. Following the recent ruling, the group expressed that the revised sentence offers some measure of justice for the workers and residents who have suffered from mesothelioma and related illnesses due to proximity to the Eternit facility.
Asbestos remains a potent killer, causing diseases that manifest decades after exposure. It has triggered thousands of illnesses and deaths worldwide, highlighting the lingering effects of industrial negligence on public health. Legal experts emphasize the ongoing need for corporate accountability and stronger regulatory frameworks to prevent similar public health crises.
In places like Casale Monferrato, the shadows of past industrial activities continue to affect new generations, educating and warning about the long-term consequences of asbestos exposure. The legal outcomes and continued advocacy work provide a semblance of justice for victims, although many argue that much more is needed to fully address the scope of the asbestos tragedy.