An appeals court on Thursday
reduced sentences handed down to senior officials with
steelmaker ThyssenKrupp for their convictions over the deaths of
seven workers in a 2007 plant fire, sparking an outcry from
victims' families present at the hearing.
The former CEO of the Italian division of Germany's
ThyssenKrupp, Harald Espenhahn, saw his sentence reduced from 10
to nine years eight months.
The Court of Cassation last year ordered a new appeals
trial to "recalculate" - but not increase - the sentences.
Espenhahn in 2013 saw his first-degree homicide sentence
reduced to 10 years from 16 and a half years on appeal,
prompting outraged families of the victims to stage a sit-in.
His initial conviction marked one of the first times that a
senior executive was convicted of homicide at a workplace death
trial in Italy.
Four other ThyssenKrupp managers who were convicted of
manslaughter also saw their sentences reduced on appeal, while a
fifth employee saw his sentence increased.
However, in April Italy's highest court threw out the new
verdicts and ordered a new appeals trial, leading to speculation
that the punishments would be increased.
This was not the case, leading families of victims to
protest.
"This is disgusting," one woman shouted.
"Today's sentence brings the total to four, and with every
one they took another piece away," said Democratic Party (PD) MP
Antonio Boccuzzi, an ex-steelworker who is the sole survivor
from the team of workers that died in the fire.
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