Japan Press Weekly

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2011 January 19 - 25 [WELFARE]

Hepatitis-B plaintiffs reluctantly accept compromise

Plaintiffs of lawsuits calling for state reparation for infection with hepatitis-B on January 22 agreed to accept a compromise proposed by a district court with reservations.

The plaintiffs group of 630, filing in ten district courts, made this painful decision. Behind their bitter decision lies the government intention to increase taxes to compensate for part of the cost of reparations.

The compromise proposed by the Sapporo District Court on January 11 calls on the state to pay between 3.6 million yen and 12.5 million yen to the hepatitis-B patients in the plaintiffs group according to their symptoms, and 500,000 yen to non-symptom virus carriers.

The hepatitis-B lawsuits have been filed by patients or their bereaved families seeking the state’s responsibility for causing infection with hepatitis-B virus through inappropriate handling of needles during compulsory collective vaccination. The Supreme Court in 2006 recognized the liability of the state in the case.

An un-symptomatic carrier plaintiff from Osaka said that he agreed to accept the compromise in order for the plaintiffs group to go ahead, though he had frustrations personally.

Taniguchi Mieko, representative of the national plaintiffs group, said that the struggle will continue to demand sincere apologies from the state and implementation of permanent counter-measures. “It is an insult for the government to state that it will increase taxes in order to compensate us for damages,” she added.

The Japanese Communist Party has been supporting the plaintiffs. JCP Chair Shii Kazuo in the parliament has urged the government for an early and complete settlement based on specific proposals of compromise. The JCP has also carried out various supportive actions inside and outside the Diet, including sit-ins and signature campaigns.