Although the majority of scientists do not recognize the links between the cases of cancer recorded in Fukushima and the exposure to radiation, six people question the responsibility of Tepco, the manager of the site, and demand financial compensation.
As we approach the eleventh anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear accident, the atomic disaster that struck Japan on March 11, 2011, another sensitive issue is resurfacing. On January 19, the newspaper Tokyo Shimbun reported that six people between the ages of 17 and 27 who lived in the area at the time of the accident were preparing to file a complaint against Tepco, the electricity operator and manager of the site. Suffering from thyroid cancer, they are claiming financial compensation of 616 million yen (4.7 million euros) from the company, deemed responsible for their illness. “According to their lawyers, this is the first time that people who had cancer during their childhood file a complaint against Tepco”, says the newspaper.
Four of the six plaintiffs, who were between the ages of 6 and 16 in 2011, have already had their entire thyroids removed after their cancer reappeared. According to the journalist, they are currently undergoing radiotherapy or will undergo it soon. “One of these plaintiffs has already had four operations, while another has seen his cancer spread to his lungs.” According to the newspaper, they will file their lawsuit in the Tokyo District Court on January 27.
Screening effect
Eleven years after the disaster, the issue of children in Fukushima suffering from thyroid cancer is still hotly debated. Since 2011, the department of Fukushima, which houses the plant, has been carrying out clinical follow-up with the 380,000 people who were under 18 at the time. And identified 300 patients who may have cancer. A very high incidence rate, notes the newspaper, which emphasizes that “Thyroid cancer in children is usually
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