Parliament clears bill to compensate all victims of forced sterilization

Parliament cleared a bill on Tuesday that will allow victims of a now-defunct eugenics law to receive ¥15 million in damages even if they did not file a lawsuit against the government for being forcibly sterilized.

Spouses of victims are also eligible to receive ¥5 million in compensation. In the event of the death of the victim or their spouse, the family can claim compensation appropriate to the situation. Those who were forced to undergo an abortion will also receive a one-time payment of ¥2 million.

On Monday, the House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution apologizing to the victims, stating that they “sincerely and deeply apologize for promoting erroneous policies based on eugenics.”