Tsu District Court Orders Compensation After Name of Disability Facility Whistleblower Leaked

From The Mainichi Shimbun

October 2 2026

Tsu, Mie Prefecture – In a lawsuit where a male care worker at a facility for people with disabilities in Taki Town, Mie Prefecture, sought damages from the town of Taiki, alleging emotional distress after the town leaked his identity to facility administrators when he reported suspected abuse by colleagues, the Tsu District Court (Presiding Judge Tsukako Shinkai) ordered the town government on October 1 to pay 110,000 yen.

According to the ruling and other sources, the man reported to Taiki Town where a resident at the facility lives; in February 2024 that he had witnessed fellow care workers verbally abusing residents and striking them on the back. When a town official contacted the facility, they disclosed that the man was the whistleblower.  

The ruling determined that Article 18 of the Act on the Prevention of Abuse of Persons with Disabilities “also protects the interest of whistleblowers not to be identified”. It concluded that the town official breached their duty of care and violated this interest, dismissing the town’s argument that “there was a high probability the whistleblower would have been identified even without the leak”.  

In response to the ruling, Taiki Town Mayor Yoshito Hattori commented, “We intend to handle personal information management even more strictly,” indicating plans not to appeal. The town stated that following an investigation, no evidence of abuse mentioned in the report was confirmed.