In a harrowing case from Nagasaki, the family of a 7-year-old girl who was murdered in 2001 has initiated their third lawsuit seeking damages against her killer, who has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the crime. The first hearing for this latest claim took place in Fukuoka District Court, where the family alleges that a prior court-ordered compensation of about 70 million yen remains unpaid due to the defendant’s continuous refusal to settle, raising concerns for the family as previous rulings will expire due to the statute of limitations.

The convicted individual, now 48 years old, did not attend the court proceedings and submitted a written statement indicating he had no objection to the claim. During the trial, the family expressed their struggles, emphasizing that despite winning previous judgments, they have not seen a single yen in compensation since the original ruling in 2005, which ordered substantial damages after the defendant admitted to luring the girl and subsequently murdering her before disposing of her body in a wooded area.

The victim’s father, who is now 71, spoke emotionally about the impact of the tragedy on their family, revealing the toll it has taken on his mental health, leading to severe depression. He advocates for improvements in the legal system to ensure that victims or their families receive timely compensation, urging that adjustments be made, perhaps even suggesting that the government consider covering victims' compensation costs to alleviate the financial burden faced by grieving families like his.