Survey: Victims of Aum's Sarin Attack in Tokyo still Suffer Health Problem

Nearly 30 percent of people injured in Aum Shinrikyo’s March 1995 sarin nerve gas attack on Tokyo’s subway system may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, a survey by a victim support organization showed. More than 70 percent still suffer eye problems. 

Nearly half of the respondents, or 48 percent, feel a sense of fear when they approach subway stations or the areas hardest hit by the sarin, according to the survey by Aum Shinrikyo Hanzai-Higaisha Shien Kiko (Support organization for victims of crimes committed by Aum Shinrikyo). The support group, headed by lawyer Kenji Utsunomiya, was set up to accelerate compensation payments from Aum to victims of its crime spree that terrorized Japan in the 1980s and 1990s.The survey was conducted between October and December last year on 299 victims. Psychological tests found that 29 percent of the victims still show signs of post-traumatic stress disorder. The symptoms of 2.7 percent of them were so serious that they continue to receive medical treatment at hospitals。 

The survey also revealed that the victims are more frequently suffering from abnormalities of the eyes and body than when a Tokyo hospital carried out examinations in 1997. 76 percent of the victims said their eyes get tired easily while 71 percent said their vision is blurred. About 30 percent of them said they always have these symptoms.In addition, 57 percent of the victims said they feel run-down and 63 percent replied that they tire easily. Forty-four percent cited dizzy spells and 42 percent complained of headaches. 

Yutaka Matsui, a professor of social psychology at the University of Tsukuba who was in charge of the latest survey, said the symptoms may come from the aging process. But he also pointed to the possibility that the severity of the aftereffects of sarin gas has increased.“Although 20 years have passed since the incident, the damage is still continuing. There is a possibility that their symptoms are worsening,” “I hope the results will be used to ease the mental and physical pain of these people.”