Japan's highest court acknowledged Friday that the Japanese military coerced women into being "comfort women" during World War II, according to Japanese press reports.

However, it denied compensation claims in the case against the Japanese government by former Chinese comfort women and their families, citing a joint statement by the Chinese and Japanese governments in 1972.

The women were "caused severe mental and physical suffering while being repeatedly sexually assaulted while under confinement by Japanese military," the ruling said.

The initial claim was filed by two Chinese women, one from Shanxi province who is 80 years-old and another who is deceased. At the time they were abducted by Japanese soldiers in 1942 they were 13 and 15 years old, respectively.

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