日本語

 

Summary of the Case

Ms. Nguyet, from a poor family in Vietnam, came to Japan in July 2023 as a technical intern trainee to support her family's livelihood while burdened with a debt of 1.5 million yen. Prior to her arrival, the sending organization in Vietnam informed her that she would have to return home if she became pregnant. Around December 2023, she noticed changes in her body and discovered she was pregnant. The pregnancy was not with her current partner, but with someone she had been in a relationship with before coming to Japan. She was repeatedly told by the supervising organization in Japan that she would have to return home if she became pregnant, as she would not be able to work. Afraid of being forced to return home with her debt still looming, she could not tell anyone about her pregnancy, not even her family or her partner.

On February 2, 2024, Ms. Nguyet went to work as usual but left around 10 a.m. due to severe abdominal pain. While cycling home, the pain became unbearable, rendering her unable to move. Fortunately, a passerby offered help and offered to take her home. However, due to her limited proficiency in Japanese, having been in Japan for only six months, she couldn't explain the way to her own home. Instead, she asked to be taken to her partner's home, which was easier to describe.

Upon arriving at her partner's home, her water broke, so she went to the bathroom, where she gave birth. Tragically, the baby was born lifeless, with a pale face and showing no signs of crying, response, or even breathing. Overwhelmed with guilt and regret, Ms. Nguyet found it difficult to face her child for long due to feelings of remorse. Unable to leave the baby as it was, she, in her exhausted state and experiencing heavy bleeding, repeatedly lost consciousness while searching the room for something to place the baby in. Eventually, she found a plastic bag from a supermarket. She placed the baby in the bag, left the handles open, and carried it while apologizing and crying. However, she was too exhausted to continue carrying the baby. Knowing that it is taboo to place a body on the floor in Vietnam, she placed the baby on top of the trash in the trash can nearby. Additionally, she hesitated to show the baby's body to her current partner, feeling remorseful for having stillborn a child with her previous partner.

In the evening, upon her partner's return home, he found Ms. Nguyet covered in blood and unconscious. He promptly took her to a nearby clinic, from where she was later transferred to another hospital by ambulance. The hospital notified the police of the incident, and Ms. Nguyet was interrogated by the police while hospitalized. Subsequently, on February 6, four days after the stillbirth, she was arrested on suspicion of abandoning a corpse and indicted on February 27.

 

Our Thoughts

Ms. Nguyet's isolated childbirth (stillbirth) was influenced by the directive she received: “if you become pregnant, you must return home.” This compelled her to undergo childbirth alone, without seeking advice, out of fear of returning home burdened with significant debt. Furthermore, she experienced episodes of unconsciousness due to heavy bleeding after childbirth, rendering her mentally and physically incapable of handling the situation. Therefore her actions of placing the baby in a plastic bag and placing it in the room's trash can within approximately eight hours of the stillbirth should not be deemed as 'abandonment of a corpse.'"

Currently, Japan hosts approximately 400,000 technical intern trainees, many of whom play crucial roles in supporting the lives of Japanese citizens. However, despite their significant contributions, their fundamental human rights, including the freedom to choose their occupation and place of residence, are constrained, leading to both domestic and international criticism labeling the system as a 'modern form of slavery.' Particularly concerning is the current situation where trainees are denied the freedom to decide on pregnancy and childbirth, being told that 'if you become pregnant, you must return home.' This issue not only violates women's labor and reproductive rights but also exposes the gender inequality prevalent in Japanese society, burdening women alone with the responsibilities of childbirth and childcare.　

If Ms. Nguyet is found guilty, not only technical intern trainees but also all women who experience stillbirth in isolation could be subject to criminal penalties. This must not happen under any circumstances. We demand Ms. Nguyet's innocence and strongly appeal for social welfare support and protection for her and others in similar situations.

Please sign this petition right away.

 

We are also conducting a paper-based signature campaign supported by the following five organizations. We will submit signatures collected from both Change.org and the paper-based campaign to the court. To avoid duplication, please sign either the Change.org petition or the paper-based one.

 

Signature Collection Coordinator: Support Group for Ms. Nguyet, a Vietnamese Technical Intern Trainee

Address: Minoshima Pastoral Center, 2-5-31 Minoshima, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City, Zip Code: 812-0017 

Phone: 090-7450-9805 (Inoue) Fax: 092-821-7292 

Email: inoueym21@yahoo.co.jp 

 

Organizing Groups (As of March 24, 2024):

• Asian Lives in Fukuoka
• Kumustaka -Association for Living Together with Migrants
• Foreign Technical Intern Trainees Rights Network - Kitakyushu
• Social Gospel Network - Fukuoka
• Minoshima Pastoral Center

 

Support Fundraising for Ms. Nguyet's Trial 

We are raising funds to support Ms. Nguyet during her trial, covering legal expenses (lawyer fees and actual expenses), bail, and post-release livelihood support. Your donations are greatly appreciated. Please transfer funds to the following account: Postal transfer: Foreign Technical Intern Trainees Rights Network - Kitakyushu, Account Number: 01750-8-84519."