Japan Press Weekly

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2014 September 3 - 9 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

TEPCO abides by verdict over Fukushima evacuee’s suicide

The operator of the crisis-ridden Fukushima nuclear power plant, TEPCO, on September 5 decided to abide by last month’s court ruling ordering the utility to pay about 49 million yen in compensation to the bereaved family of an evacuee who committed suicide after suffering from depression caused by the stress of forced evacuation.

Plaintiff Watanabe Mikio, originally living in Kawamata Town in Fukushima with his wife Hamako who committed suicide, demanded that TEPCO not appeal the Fukushima District Court ruling and issue an apology along with the compensation.

TEPCO conveyed its decision to not appeal the ruling through Watanabe’s lawyers. The counsel soon issued a statement calling on the power company to sincerely address other claims over suicide-related deaths.

The Fukushima District Court on August 26 for the first time recognized the direct cause and effect link between a suicide and the triple meltdowns at the Fukushima plant.

Past related article:
> Court acknowledges Fukushima nuclear crisis as cause of evacuee’s suicide [August 27 & 29, 2014]