By TOMOAKI HOSAKA/ Staff Writer
April 9, 2022 at 17:23 JST
Gifu Prison (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
GIFU--An elderly prisoner with mobility problems who claims he was not allowed to take a bath for more than two years is seeking 1.54 million yen ($12,400) in compensation from the government, citing psychological stress.
The 70-year-old filed the lawsuit in Gifu District Court on April 8.
According to the lawsuit, the man was transferred from Osaka Prison to Gifu Prison in January 2011. The man had difficulty walking because of leg and hip problems. Osaka Prison authorities allowed him to use a wheelchair, but Gifu Prison officials ignored his repeated requests to use one.
It was only in February 2021 that Gifu Prison finally allowed him to use a wheelchair.
During the 10 years until the man’s request was granted, he was forced to crawl on the floor whenever he left his cell.
Although he was allowed to use a walker from December 2014, in the four years until then he was unable to go to the outdoor exercise yard.
He also was unable to go take a bath for about two years and three months and had to make do by wiping himself with a towel. He claimed it was impossible to crawl from his cell to the bathing area.
He also experienced problems with the walker because its frame was the wrong size. He scraped his elbows and the broken skin festered.
For that reason, he asked in November 2015 for use of a wheelchair, but again the request was ignored.
The man asserted it was illegal to deny him use of a wheelchair from as late as 2015 because he was forced to endure pain in getting around.
Gifu Prison authorities said they could not comment because they had not yet received a copy of the lawsuit.
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