Japan's ruling parties have decided to provide relief measures to those affected by forced sterilizations under the now-defunct eugenics law, ahead of court rulings in a string of damages suits against the state, party sources said Thursday.
The decision reflects the parties' consensus that there must be redress soon for the victims, who are advanced in age, without waiting for court decisions. In Japan, it usually takes several years for district courts to hand down rulings after lawsuits are filed, and the cases can be further prolonged if appealed.
The eugenics protection law was in place from 1948 to 1996, and was aimed at preventing births of "inferior offspring." Under the law about 25,000 people were sterilized on grounds of intellectual or other disabilities, including some 16,500 who received the surgery without their consent, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare and the Japan Federation of Bar Associations.