[_carbyau_]

The issue is that human interactions are largely based on reputation. If a person is blamed, immediately their reputation suffers. Hence blame=punishment.

As mentioned in other comments, if you are close enough to know and understand then qualifying facts may remove the reputational damage in your mind, and you may fully trust that person to do similar work in future.

But in society wide incidents few of us are that close to the event of concern.