PAYOUT REJECTED. Lawyers and supporters of victims of forced sterilization under a now-defunct eugenics law, carry a banner saying 'Sterilization under the eugenics law. Relief measures for the victims required now!' entering the Tokyo District Court in Tokyo on May 17, 2018. File photo by Toshifumi Kitamura/AFPhad their bid for compensation rejected on Tuesday, May 28, by a Japanese court, which said the statute of limitations had passed.
Local 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. The legislation, and an apology from the prime minister, only emerged after plaintiffs began to file lawsuits over their experiences.
Lawyers and campaigners have long criticized the government and parliament for failing to compensate victims after the eugenics law was abandoned.