Three railway employees were charged in the rail explosion that levelled much of the Quebec town of Lac-Megantic and killed 47 people last July. But residents of the town did not heckle them as they were ushered in to a make-shift court on Tuesday. In fact, some openly wondered why people at higher levels were not being charged.
Charged with criminal negligence causing death were Thomas Harding, the train’s engineer; Jean Demaitre, the operations manager; and Richard Labrie, the railway traffic controller. If found guilty, they could face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The crown would have to prove they saw a risk but acted anyway.
‘They’re scapegoats,’ resident says
The Globe and Mail newspaper quotes resident Diane Poirier as saying “To me they’re scapegoats. I don’t blame them at all. We want someone to pay for what happened, but the right people.”
Investigation by the Globe and Mail revealed the train’s tanker cars were carrying oil that was much more volatile than the usual and the cars were not suitable for carrying it. Subsequent controversy prompted the Canadian and U.S. governments to upgrade safety rules.
It appears there are no other criminal charges pending, but 41 families have filed a class-action lawsuit for civil damages.
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