New industrial manslaughter laws are one step closer to being introduced in New South Wales. But a family who lost their son in a workplace tragedy says a leaked copy of the law, seen by 7NEWS, is too weak. Watch the video above: Parents’ grief after Sydney teen crushed to death in horrific workplace accident. Christopher Cassaniti was only 18 years old when he died in April 2019.
An employer can be prosecuted if they cause the death of a worker, but they must have been grossly negligent. Criminal lawyer Sam Macedone says this sets a very high bar for a prosecutor to prove. “Gross negligence has got to be a complete, total disregard for a worker’s safety and wellbeing,” he told 7NEWS. “Proving manslaughter is a very high bar to get over.” Too high, the Cassanitis say. “It’s too watered down,” Patrizia said. Robert added: “We feel the current laws let us down.