He served his military service at the Motorization School in Cecchignola, then at the Armored Unit Training Center in Capo Teulada. Francesco Maria Cairo died in 2022 at the age of 71 due to pleural mesothelioma caused by exposure to asbestos, which occurred during his military service between July 1968 and September 1969.
Now a court has recognized him as a “victim of duty”: it has ordered the Ministry of Defense to guarantee his widow social security benefits, for a total amount of 285 thousand euros, in addition to a monthly pension of 2 thousand euros.
"Francesco Maria Cairo, from Lombardy, felt betrayed by the State as a man, citizen and soldier because, while carrying out a duty, he became seriously ill and, although aware that he would die, he was determined to obtain his rights. Finally, justice for a brave man": this is the comment on the verdict of the judges of Milan by the lawyer Ezio Bonanni, who brought the case on behalf of the woman, representing the National Asbestos Observatory (Ona).
Numerous testimonies have confirmed that Cairo worked in environments saturated with asbestos. In tanks, in technical rooms and even in fireproof gloves: the highly harmful material was omnipresent. The diagnosis of pleural mesothelioma came in the spring of 2019, when the 71-year-old discovered that he had been exposed without any protection during his military service.
Cairo had chosen to rely on the National Asbestos Observatory and the lawyer Ezio Bonanni, with the aim of obtaining official recognition of his rights. In February 2022, a sudden worsening of the disease led to his death while the trial was still ongoing. His widow, therefore, continued the legal battle until the final sentence.
"The preliminary investigation confirmed beyond any doubt that the former soldier was exposed to asbestos during his military service," the ONA declared.
Although the ruling dates back to last year, the issue has come back into the spotlight because the Ministry of Defense filed an objection shortly before the deadline.
