Two 9-year-olds among 25,000 victims of Japan's WW2-era forced sterilisation law

A parliamentary report in Japan has revealed that two nine-year-old children were among the 25,000 people forced to undergo sterilisation, under the nation's post-World War Two eugenics law.

Report's findings

A probe into the law, which was in effect from 1948 to 1996, found that two nine-year-old kids — a boy and a girl — were among those sterilised.

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The nine-year-olds as per Japan's public broadcaster NHK, were the youngest victims of the law. The boy was sterilised in the 1960s and the girl underwent the procedure in the 1970s.

As per the parliamentary report, most patients were led to believe that they were undergoing treatment for an illness like anaemia or removal of the appendix. Around 65 per cent of the procedures carried out in almost five decades were without consent.

It also found that the law had even set sterilisation as a condition for marriage and/or admission at welfare facilities. The probe into the law also found reported cases of radiation exposure and uterus removal.

The 1,400-page long study has been long awaited. Investigation into the law began in June 2020 under a law aimed at providing victims with some relief. The 2019 legislation also promised victims state compensation worth ¥3.2 million ($22,000). Victims have, however, sued the country for a higher compensation.

Japan's eugenics law

The contentious law was in place for 48 years. Under it, people were at times forced to undergo operations to prevent them from having children deemed "inferior".

As per Japan Times, most of these people had intellectual disabilities, mental illness or hereditary disorders.

The parliamentary report further states that as per a high school textbook from 1975, using the eugenics law, the government was making efforts for the "country's eugenics to improve and enhance the genetic predisposition of the entire public."

Japan Times reports that the legislation which was initiated by lawmakers was adopted unanimously. Apart from eugenics, it was also aimed at curbing Japan's population increase amid food shortages after World War II.

No longer 'shroud'issue in darkness

Referring to findings in the Diet (Japan parliament) report, an 80-year-old victim of forced sterilisation said it showed the government "had been doing terrible things by deceiving children."

The victim, who goes by the pseudonym Saburo Kita, was forced to undergo the procedure at the young age of 14 years. Kita said, "I would like the state not to shroud the issue in darkness, but take our sufferings seriously soon."

(With inputs from agencies)

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