The billionaire owner of the Eternit factories in Italy, who allowed workers to be exposed to asbestos, may be heading back to court. Alfredo Covino has been following the plight of the victims
Main image: Photos of former workers of the Eternit factory who were victims of asbestos. Photograph: Alfred Covina
Mon 28 Nov 2016 02.00 EST Last modified on Thu 26 Mar 2020 10.35 EDT
Eternit, owned by the Swiss billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny and late Belgian baron Jean Louis Marie Ghislain de Cartier de Marchienne, had factories in Casale Monferrato, Cavagnolo, Rubiera and Bagnoli Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
The company manufactured a roofing and panelling material made from a blend of asbestos and cement Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
A road near the factory. Asbestos causes respiratory diseases including asbestosis and a particularly malignant tumour called pleural mesothelioma Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
The bed of a former worker suffering from asbestosis. It wasn’t just former workers who contracted diseases – citizens of nearby Casale also fell ill, as leftover asbestos dust was used for heat insulation and fire-proofing in their homes Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
A book belonging to a former worker at the Eternit factory. In 2009, a trial against Eternit started in Turin, with thousands of people bringing a civil action against the former company chiefs Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Schmidheiny and de Marchienne were sentenced in 2012 to 16 years in jail for intentionally omitting to put measures in place to prevent asbestos damage Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Romana Blasotti Pavesi, honorary president of an association for victims, who brought the case
In 2014 the Italian supreme court annulled the sentence, cancelling out convictions and compensations in favour of the plaintiffs Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
A new case is currently being brought against Schmidheiny, now accused of 258 deaths – a decision is still being made over whether it is legal to bring the new case against him Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
A photo of some of the former workers in happier times. Covino says: ‘In Casale people are still being diagnosed with mesothelioma. In Casale, people are still dying’ Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
