Japan Press Weekly

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2013 April 24 - May 7 [WELFARE]

Court’s designation of woman as Minamata disease patient finalized

In a lawsuit a woman filed against Kumamoto Prefecture seeking an official recognition of her mother as a Minamata disease sufferer, the prefecture on May 2 decided to withdraw from the court battle. The Osaka District Court’s ruling favoring the plaintiff will be finalized.

The plaintiff is a daughter of a woman in Osaka Prefecture who was from Minamata City and passed away in March.

The Supreme Court on April 16 disaffirmed the Osaka High Court’s decision which overturned the district court’s decision and sent the case back to the high court.

Kumamoto Governor Kabashima Ikuo at a news conference on the same day apologized to the late mother and her bereaved family and said that the prefecture will certify the woman as a Minamata disease victim as soon as possible.

Related past article
> Top court for first time recognizes woman as Minamata disease sufferer [April 17, 2013]