WEB DESK
Japan government has ordered a probe into the religious corporation previously known as Unification Church, after the assassination of Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has said that a government hotline set up to receive complaints and inquiries related to the church has resulted in more than 1,700 cases that have been handled by police and legal experts.
Mr Kishida said, many victims face financial difficulty and their families were destroyed, but the government has not been able to provide adequate support and he takes it seriously. He also pledged to do more to support the alleged victims, including a possible revision to the consumer contract law to prevent future problems.
A government panel submitted a report earlier yesterday that found many financial problems and lawsuits stemming from the church’s methods.
Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot dead during an outdoor campaign speech in July. The suspect, Tetsuya Yamagami, told police he killed Abe because of his apparent link to a religious group he hated.
A letter and social media postings attributed to Yamagami said his mother’s large donations to the church bankrupted his family and ruined his life.
The group is under close scrutiny for alleged shady marketing practices and its solicitation of large donations from followers. An investigation into the group will be conducted under a provision of the Religious Corporations Act.