Former leprosy patients and government reach agreement on steps toward final settlement

Former leprosy patients and the government have reached agreement on basic measures that will accelerate the complete settlement of the lawsuit over the government mistreatment of leprosy patients.

Sogano Kazumi, who represents the plaintiffs in all leprosy lawsuits, and Masuya Keigo, Health, Welfare and Labor minister, signed the agreement on December 25 in Tokyo.

The agreement said that the government will run an apology advertisement in national and local newspapers in order to help eliminate public prejudices and discrimination against former leprosy patients and rehabilitate their honor.

The government also promised to help them live an ordinary life by establishing a pension plan for former leprosy patients who are leaving sanatoriums and ensuring that they can receive free medical treatment .

At a news conference on the same day, Kodama Yuji, one of the leaders of the Plaintiffs Groups Council, said that his wish to live a normal social life will come true after 62 years' isolation that began when symptoms of the disease developed when he was seven.

Former patients filed lawsuits at the Kumamoto, Tokyo, and Okayama district courts in 1998 and 1999, demanding that the government pay compensation for separating them from their families and forcing them to live in sanatoriums in isolation, a clear violation of human rights.

In May 2001, the Kumamoto District Court ruled that the government and the Health, Welfare and Labor Ministry are responsible for the human rights violation and ordered the government to pay about 1.8 billion yen in damages. The court judgment has been upheld after the government decided not to appeal. (end)