Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the government¡¯s responsibility is ¡°extremely grave¡± in her meeting with victims of forced sterilization conducted under the country¡¯s now-defunct eugenics law.
¡°We want you all to make sure you receive compensation,¡± Takaichi told the former plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the government over the issue during the meeting at the Prime Minister¡¯s Office on Wednesday.
One of the victims who goes by the pseudonym Saburo Kita said to Takaichi, ¡°There are still many victims suffering today.¡±
A law on compensation to forced sterilization victims took effect on Jan. 17 last year following a Supreme Court ruling that recognized the state¡¯s responsibility. While victims are estimated to include around 25,000 individuals subjected to sterilization procedures and about 59,000 who had abortions, the number of cases certified under the law remained at just 1,560 as of the end of November last year.
After the meeting with Takaichi, lawyer Koji Niisato, co-representative of the defense team in the lawsuit, said at a news conference that the existence of the compensation law may not have reached some victims.
¡°There may also be others who cannot speak out due to lingering eugenic ideology,¡± he said. ¡°It is crucial for society to address how we resolve situations where people cannot speak out.¡±
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