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41 Asbestos Meetings in Brazil (September 28, 2010)

A series of high-profile meetings held in Brasilia, Maceio, Simes Filho, Rio de Janeiro and Osasco generated an avalanche of media attention in Brazil over recent weeks.1 The international seminar entitled Asbestos and its harmful affects, a socio-judicial approach which took place on August 30-31, was co-organized and co-sponsored by the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA), in collaboration with important partners from civil society including the National Association of Labor Prosecutors and the National Association of Labour Law Magistrates. Speakers from Europe and North America discussed the manner in which asbestos victims were seeking restitution in their respective countries. The ongoing case in Italy against two former executives of Eternit, a global asbestos conglomerate which had major financial interests in Brazil, was of particular interest to conference delegates. Speaking about the judicial proceedings in Turin, Eliezer João de Souza, President of Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA), said:

42 The Day of Reckoning: Eternit on Trial (March 22, 2010)

In December 2009, court hearings began in the case initiated by Turin Prosecutor Dr. Guariniello against Stefan Schmidheiny and Jean-Louis Chislain de Cartier De Marchienne who respectively worked for the Swiss and Belgian Eternit companies.1 They are facing criminal charges relating to the asbestos-related deaths of 1,500+ Italians who were occupationally or environmentally exposed to Eternit asbestos.

As significant as is this ground-breaking lawsuit is the formation of an alliance of European groups and professionals which has coalesced to progress the claimants' cause. A series of meetings which took place in Turin from March 14-16, 2010 brought together asbestos victims' representatives, ban asbestos activists, legal practitioners and other experts from Europe, Latin America and Asia to:

Reflecting on the importance of the events in Turin, Organizer Annie Thébaud-Mony from Ban Asbestos France and the International Ban Asbestos Network expressed the feelings of many delegates when she said:

“People in Turin and the surrounding area know only too well the consequences of working for Eternit. Thousands of people in Casale Monferrato and other Italian towns have died from their occupational and environmental exposures to Eternit asbestos. Considering that hazardous exposures experienced in Italy were replicated elsewhere, there must be hundreds of thousands of people who have died from their exposures to this company's asbestos products.

2 The proceedings on March 15, 2010 were cancelled while the judge considered jurisdictional issues such as a defendant's application to relocate the trial from Turin to Genoa. The usual schedule is for a weekly hearing on Mondays from 9 a.m. – 2 p.

http://ibasecretariat.org/draft_program_turin_15_16_mar_2010.pdf

43 Stephan Schmidheiny: Saint or Sinner? (October 26, 2009)

In light of Schmidheiny's upcoming trial in Turin for his alleged role in exposing thousands of Italians to Eternit asbestos,5 the appearance of the glowing commentary in Forbes would seem quite fortuitous: a coincidence or part of the well-honed Schmidheiny public relations machine?

44 The Wheels of Justice (August 17, 2009)

Italy: On July 22 Judge Cristina Palmesion ordered two former Eternit executives to stand trial for charges relating to negligent asbestos exposures experienced by hundreds of Italians. If convicted, Stephan Schmidheiny and Jean-Louis de Cartier De Marchienne could face up to 12 years in prison; the trial will begin on December 10 in Turin.10

45 Asbestos Pigeons Coming Home to Roost (May 8, 2009)

Recent developments suggest that the fight-back by asbestos victims is succeeding in more and more jurisdictions. Even as a trial in Turin, Italy is progressing against former Eternit company executives for their role in the fatal exposures received by thousands of Italians,2 ten asbestos businessmen were condemned by an Australian Court for misleading the public over the content of a James Hardie press release which stated that the company was fully funded and able to meet its compensation liabilities.3 Within two years, a shortfall of more than $1 billion was revealed; the certainty which the company had sought to give asbestos victims and investors was not justified.

46 Eternit Pre-Trial Manoeuvre in Italy (March 13, 2009)

In the run-up to the biggest legal action to be held in Turin, an offer has been made to compensate some asbestos plaintiffs and contribute funds for medical research into the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma.1 In March 2009, scarcely one month before the litigants were due in court, news was circulating that Becon, a company associated with one of the Eternit executives against whom charges have been brought, would pay a set amount to residents of Casale Monferrato diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases.2 This is the first time that an offer has been made to compensate asbestos-injured claimants who are not former employees.

We will be carefully monitoring developments in Turin. In the meantime, we send a message of solidarity to all those who are suffering from these diseases in Italy and elsewhere.”

47 Italian Case Against Eternit (January 26, 2009)

A preliminary hearing into the Eternit Group's allegedly negligent behavior in exposing Italian citizens to asbestos would begin at the Palace of Justice, Turin on April 6, 2009.1 This is the culmination of years of research and preparation by Prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello and his team who are mounting the largest legal action to be held in Turin. The charges are being brought against the Swiss company's officers – 62-year old Stephen Schmidheiny, a Swiss billionaire and 88-year old Baron Luis Jan Marie Ghislain De Cartier De Marchienne from Belgium – on behalf of 2,619 former Eternit employees2 from factories in Casale Monferrato (Alessandria), Cavagnolo (Turin), Rubiera (Reggio Emilia) and Bagnoli (Naples), and 270 family members or local residents who received para-occupational3 or environmental exposure to Eternit asbestos.4

In order to disseminate news of the court date to the thousands of interested parties, public proclamations will be issued and official notices of the proceedings will be displayed at town halls in Turin, Cavagnalo, Naples, Rubiera and Monferrato. The news will also be featured on internet websites including those run by the Piemonte Region, the city of Turin and the Region of Emilia Romagna.

48 Asbestos Exposure Surveillance (May 15, 2008)

Department of Traumatology, Orthopaedics and Occupational Medicine - University of Turin, Via Zuretti 29 - I-10126 Turin, Italy. mariagrazia.putzu@unito.it

49 International Trade Union Conference on Asbestos (March 4, 2008)

Since 2003, CAOVA has been single-handedly fighting for these victims' rights against powerful vested interests including the Schmidheinys, owners of Eternit, and one of the richest families in the country. Recently, the tide has turned with TV documentaries and articles in the national media about the country's asbestos epidemic. Praising the Italian Prosecutor in Turin who is soon to take the case against Schmidheiny to court, she said that trade unions, and representatives of civil society should evince as much support as they can for this process.

50 Jailing Asbestos Executives (March 20, 2008)

In Italy after several years of investigation, Turin-based Prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello is poised to bring a class action suit against a leading asbestos multinational for its role in 2,900 asbestos-related deaths caused by Eternit's operations in Italy and Switzerland. The trial of the class action is due to commence in Spring/Summer 2008.