The Japanese government has agreed to pay 194 million yen to the family of a prosecutor who died by suicide in Hiroshima, acknowledging inappropriate behavior from his superiors prior to the incident.
A lawsuit following the suicide of a 29-year-old male prosecutor from the Hiroshima District Public Prosecutors Office in December 2019 has concluded with a settlement in the Tokyo District Court. The prosecutor's family claimed that he faced excessive work hours and inappropriate reprimands from his superiors, contributing to his distress. The Japanese government has acknowledged that the actions of the prosecutor's superiors were inappropriate and has agreed to pay a settlement of 194 million yen to the family along with commitments to implement measures aimed at preventing such incidents in the future.
The prosecutor's family previously filed for compensation under public disaster claims, citing over 80 hours of overtime per month and a toxic work environment as contributing factors to the tragedy. Although the Ministry of Justice recognized the situation as a work-related incident, officials did not evaluate the behavior of the superior officers involved. The recent court settlement affirms that the prosecutor's death was considered work-related and emphasizes the need for changes within the working environment, including better management of working hours and increased awareness of external harassment support channels.
During a press conference, the father of the deceased prosecutor expressed hopes that future efforts would prevent similar incidents, stressing that he wants meaningful change within the workplace that his son had entered with hope. The deputy chief prosecutor of Hiroshima also remarked on the need to foster a healthy environment in which employees can thrive, vowing to work towards preventing such tragedies from recurring in the future.
