Children of sex slaves file case against Japan in China

The children of 18 deceased Chinese who were forced to be sex slaves for the Japanese army recently filed a lawsuit against the Japanese government in a Chinese court.

The lawsuit was submitted to the Shanxi Provincial High People's Court by the offspring of the 18 victims, marking the first time in 32 years of civil petitions that such a case has been brought in China.

Li Ladi, 78, the daughter of victim Wan Aihua, is one of the plaintiffs. In her civil complaint, she demands that the Japanese government formally apologizes and expresses remorse for the kidnapping, detention, rape, beating, abuse, torment, injury, and disease transmission committed against Wan Aihua by the Japanese military during the invasion of China.

Li seeks a total compensation of 2 million yuan ($276,100) for physical injury and emotional distress, including damages for the violation of her mother's personal dignity and life.

Zhang Shuangbing, who began investigating the plight of comfort women in 1982, is leading this new legal challenge against the Japanese government, supported by a team of experts and lawyers.

In 1992, Japanese army sex slaves from China formally lodged a complaint against the Japanese government, demanding an official apology and financial compensation. A local court in Japan heard the case in August 1995.

Despite numerous hearings over 12 years, the Japanese court ultimately acknowledged the historical facts of Japanese army forced Chinese women to be sex slaves in 2007 but did not offer any apology or financial compensation to the victims.