Japan sterilized victims denied payout
Print Edition
Men and women who were forcibly sterilized under a now-defunct eugenics law had their bid for compensation rejected yesterday by a Japanese court, which said the statute of limitations had passed.
The court ruled that the law, which remained in force until 1996, 鈥渨as unconstitutional,鈥 Japanese media said.
But it 鈥渞ejected all claims made by the plaintiffs,鈥 said a spokeswoman for the Sendai District Court in north Japan.
Media said the ruling, which was not immediately available, found the government was not obliged to pay compensation because the 20-year statute of limitations had now passed.
Some 16,500 people were sterilized without their consent under the law, which targeted those with disabilities.
In April, the government passed legislation offering the victims 3.2 million yen (US$29,000) each, an amount derided by campaigners as 鈥渇ailing to meet the seriousness鈥 of the issue.
The legislation and an apology from the prime minister, only emerged after plaintiffs began to file lawsuits over their experiences.
After yesterday鈥檚 ruling, a supporter of the plaintiffs 鈥 two women who were seeking compensation of 71.5 million yen in total 鈥 rushed out of the courtroom with a banner that read: 鈥淯nfair verdict.鈥
鈥淲e have arrived at this decision of 鈥榰nconstitutional鈥 but it is meaningless if it fails to help the suffering of the victims,鈥 Koji Niisato, chief lawyer for the plaintiffs, said, adding the plaintiffs will likely appeal to an upper court.
The issue hit the headlines last year after a Japanese woman, now in her 60s, sued the government over a sterilization operation carried out in 1972 after she was diagnosed with a mental disability.
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