Criminal negligence is not a specific intent crime. It is a general intent crime and would require for the accused acts to have some foreseeable consequence that includes death or serious bodily harm.

For those maintainers to be charged with this I think they would have to prove that they KNEW that if the maintainer installed this widget wrong, and the inspector KNEW that if he didn't properly check the installation of the widget, then they KNEW that said widget would fall off and cause a mishap that you might be able to pin criminal negligence on them.

In the end - the personally think that the French are reaching on trying to find someone criminally negligent on this terrible mishap. Find the problem, FIX the problem. Those maintainers actions (or lack of actions) were only one hole in the entire chain of events that led to that mishap. IMO.

USMCFLYR