Japan apologises & offer money to victims of forced sterilization

Japan's government has apologised and vowed to compensate thousands of victims of a law that allows doctors to forcibly sterilized people until 1996.

The Shinzo Abe government pledged on Wednesday to pay out 3.2 million yen ($28,600, €25,500) to every survivor of forced sterilization after years of rejecting compensation claims.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga offered "sincere remorse and heartfelt apology" following a parliamentary vote in favor of the redress measures.

About 16,500 people were forcibly sterilized under Japan's Eugenics Protection Law. More than 8,000 others gave their consent, but likely faced pressure to do so. The law aimed to "prevent the birth of poor-quality descendants." It was first passed in 1948, and the last sterilization was performed in 1993.

In 1996, the law was quietly altered and renamed as the Maternity Protection Law.

In recent years, survivors started seeking compensation before courts, but the government held to the view that the sterilizations were legal at the time.

Following the parliamentary vote on Wednesday, Prime Minister Abe said such actions should never be repeated.

"We will do all we can to achieve a society where no one is discriminated against, whether they have illnesses or handicaps, and live together while respecting each other's personality and individuality," he said during his European tour.