Jump in help sought for victims of Unification Church after Abe death
- Most asked how family members could leave, others were concerned with financial issues – one person had contributed 500 million yen (US$3.73 million)
- The church has come under renewed scrutiny after investigators said the accused assailant Tetsuya Yamagami was motivated by the former PM’s alleged links
A group helping victims of the Unification Church said on Thursday that consultations jumped 12 times more in July than in the previous month, following the killing of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Most the 94 consultations came from families of believers asking how their kin could leave the church, according to the group, while other cases concerned financial issues, with one saying a family member had contributed 500 million yen (US$3.73 million) or more to the church.
Surging consultations were also reported by the National Network of Lawyers against Spiritual Sales, which was established in 1987 to help victims of so-called spiritual sales, in which people were talked into buying jars and other items for exorbitant prices.
The church, founded by a staunch anti-communist, is widely known for its mass weddings and has drawn scrutiny over such sales.
In 2021, the lawyers’ group said it accepted 47 consultations in total. But since the fatal shooting of Abe on July 8, the group’s chief secretary, Yasuo Kawai, said it is receiving 20 to 30 requests daily.
The church, formally known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, has come under renewed scrutiny after investigative sources have said the accused assailant Tetsuya Yamagami was motivated by the former prime minister’s alleged links to the church.