Italian Court orders Ministry of Defence to pay asbestos compensation

The Court of Lecce has issued a final ruling ordering the Italian Ministry of Defence to pay over 138,000 euros, plus interest, to the son of a former Navy sailor. The compensation is intended to redress the loss of his father, who died in 2016 from pleural mesothelioma, a disease linked to asbestos exposure.

The deceased sailor had served at the Taranto military base, working as a naval stoker and engine driver. These technical roles involved working in environments containing asbestos-based materials.

Ezio Bonanni, president of the National Asbestos Observatory (ONA), noted that professional exposure to asbestos can lead to health consequences many years after work activities have ceased. The ruling emphasizes the necessity of adequate preventive measures and risk information for workers in technical environments, such as military vessels.