In an apparent act of compassion, the government Friday finally let a woman who became disabled after Aum Shinrikyo's nerve gas attack in 1995 keep the full amount of her welfare payments.
At issue was the 3 million yen in compensation the woman received from the cult.
In general, welfare payments for victims of accidents or crimes are reduced if the victim receives compensation, which is regarded as income.
But Health and Welfare Ministry officials decided the court-ordered compensation does not constitute income, and, therefore, she does not have to return any of her welfare payments, sources said.
A ministry official said this is ``a special case.'' In fact, it is the only time the government has not counted compensation as income of a welfare recipient.
The 34-year-old woman developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after cult members released sarin nerve gas on three subway lines in downtown Tokyo on March 20, 1995, a morning rush-hour attack that killed 12 and sickened more than 3,700.
The woman survived the attack at Kasumigaseki Station, but her PTSD led to the loss of her job, and she has been living on welfare ever since, according to her attorney.
The PTSD also hampered her ability to move her arms and legs, and she still undergoes hospital treatment.
She was entitled to welfare payments after being classified as a first-class disabled person, which means her disabilities are most severe.
The welfare problem emerged after the Tokyo District Court ordered the cult to pay the woman 14 million yen in compensation. She received 3 million yen in 1998.
But the social welfare office in Tokyo's Meguro Ward in 1998 and 2001 asked the woman to return part of her welfare payments because of the ``income'' from the cult.
The woman's attorney accepted the compensation money on behalf of the woman so she could continue receiving her welfare payments.
``The woman was the victim of the government's poor security management, and the compensation does not mean her assets would be increased,'' he said.
After a series of negotiations, the woman received the 3 million yen from her attorney on Tuesday. She was allowed to keep her welfare three days later.