Victim Compensation System Under Scrutiny in Aftermath of Osaka Mental Health Clinic Arson Attack

The woman's husband had left his job due to health issues caused by overwork and had been seeking treatment at the clinic in hopes of returning to work. Despite her husband having a job before, the woman was dismayed by the response from the public safety committee's office when applying for victims' aid, as they emphasized his unemployment. The amount of aid provided to her was not as much as she had hoped for, leaving her feeling that her husband's dignity and potential were undermined.

As of fiscal 2021, the average amount of victims' aid given to bereaved relatives was significantly lower compared to the compensation provided through automobile liability insurance for fatal traffic accidents. The system for compensating crime victims tends to result in smaller amounts for the families of victims who had no income at the time of their deaths, such as children and the unemployed. In response to calls for reform, a ruling party task force has proposed revising the system to calculate payouts based on lost earnings, similar to the approach used for civil litigation.

There are ongoing discussions and proposals for significant increases in the compensation amounts, with an expert panel aiming to finalize a proposal by May 2024. Toshimi Kawasaki, chair of an association seeking improvements to the compensation system, has expressed hopes that the amounts can be raised to levels closer to automobile liability insurance payouts.