Leprosy patients' relatives seek damages, apology for discrimination

Closing her testimony as one of the plaintiffs in a mass lawsuit involving leprosy across Japan, Nobuko Harada said in a quivering voice, "All I want is an apology from the government while I am alive."The group of 568 respective family members is seeking damages over the government's mistreatment of them and discrimination against them as family members of leprosy patients.In a civil court at the Kumamoto District Court, southwestern Japan, in late April, Harada, 74, recounted her struggle since she was seven, when her father was diagnosed with leprosy (now treatable), also known as Hansen…READ FULL ARTICLE