The Tokyo High Court yesterday rejected compensation suits from a group of Chinese women who were raped by Japanese soldiers during World War II.
In the ruling, the court admitted the fact that they were raped by Japanese soldiers, but rejected the demand for compensation on grounds that the government was not obliged to compensate for state actions according to the old constitution at that time.
The ten women from Shanxi Province filed the lawsuit in 1998 at the Tokyo District Court, asking the Japanese government to apologize and compensate. The first ruling made by the district court in 2003 also recognized the facts, yet turned down the compensation demand. The plaintiffs appealed the judgment immediately.
None of the victims were in court yesterday as four had passed away and the rest were unable to come due to bad health.
The ruling angered the plaintiffs. Yuko Nakashita, one of the lawyers representing them, said the crimes committed by Japan had inflicted great damage on the Chinese victims physically and mentally. Yet, the Japanese government attempts to alienate itself from its responsibilities, which is not viable in the international community.
A young Japanese said he did not understand why his government refuses to acknowledge the fact and pay damages.
Lawsuits brought up by Chinese for sufferings during the Japanese invasion have routinely been rejected by Japanese courts.
In a latest case on March 18, the high court dismissed the same demands brought forward by two women who were forced to provide sexual services to Japanese troops during the war.