The suicide of a Japanese sailor who hung himself after being bullied by his superior has culminated in an award for damages.

The parents of a sailor who was 21 years old when he hung himself in 1999, have been awarded damages in this first-of-its-kind ruling involving a civil servant.

Fukuoka High Court in southern Japan ordered the sum of 3.5 million yen ($32,000) to the parents of the petty third class officer although they refused to offer any more details about the landmark judicial decision.

A lower court had previously ruled in the government’s favor, claiming that the remarks fell within the “scope of training”, but The High Court recognized that the sailor killed himself because he was despondent and stressed out by his superior’s insulting and persistent disparaging remarks.

The defense ministry, which has been besieged by bribery and security scandals in recent years, was unhappy with the court’s ruling and Kohei Masuda, Vice Defense Minister, said:

“It is disappointing that the court did not understand the state’s claim. We will closely study the decision and deal with it appropriately.”

Only time will tell what this ruling will mean for the future bullies of Japan. It would appear, however, that it is they who should watch their backs!

(link)