In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the state to compensate victims of forced sterilization surgery, despite a 20-year statute of limitations, on the grounds that the now defunct eugenics law was unconstitutional.
The Supreme Court ruling provides relief to victims who have been seeking justice for decades after being forced to undergo sterilization surgery without their consent or knowledge due to their physical and mental disabilities.
It was a uniform statement that referred to five similar lawsuits initially filed in Osaka, Tokyo, Sendai, Kobe and Sapporo, and the first time the Supreme Court has ruled on forced sterilization.
