Japanese firm stopped from hiring interns after Vietnamese man abused

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang provided the information at a Thursday press conference.

She was answering a question about a 41-year-old Vietnamese intern who accused colleagues last month of beating him badly.

On January 25, Japan’s Justice Minister Yoshihisa Furukawa ordered the nation’s Immigration Services Agency to quickly investigate and strictly deal with people involved in the abuse. The minister also asked companies to take corrective measures and provide protection for the interns they accept.

The company has admitted the mistake and committed to compensate the Vietnamese trainee. Other trainees have been moved to the management union’s accomodation to be transferred to other companies, Japanese reports said.

The Vietnamese intern said he had arrived in Japan under government-to-government program, working at a construction firm in western Japan.

Around a month after he began working, his Japanese colleagues began to beat him up, causing severe injuries including broken bones, he added.

Hang said the Vietnamese embassy in Japan has worked with local authorities to verify information and affirm that the abused intern is in stable physical and mental health.