Japan government to pay damages to kin over leprosy isolation | World News, The Indian Express

Japan government to pay damages to kin over leprosy isolation | World News, The Indian Express

By AP |Tokyo |Published: July 9, 2019 5:18:58 pm

Japan government to pay damages to kin over leprosy isolation

More than 12,000 leprosy patients were kept in 14 isolated sanatoriums across the country, and many were also forcibly sterilized. Many remained at the sanatoriums even after the termination of the segregation policy in 1996, fearing discrimination and with ties to their families severed.

The court ruling blamed legislative negligence by Japan’s parliament for destroying the families and causing tremendous damage to their lives. (Representational Image)

Japan’s prime minister said Tuesday that the government will abide by a court ruling ordering it to compensate former leprosy patients’ families over a lengthy segregation policy that severed family ties and caused long-lasting prejudice.