February 23, 2023 at 15:37 JST
A former member of the Unification Church tells reporters in Tokyo on Feb. 22 that the religious group claimed that donations would cure her husband’s disease. (Ryujiro Komatsu)
Fifty former members of the Unification Church are demanding 1.6 billion yen ($11.8 million) in compensation from the religious group over what they say were deceptive and unlawful tactics to take their money.
At a news conference held on Feb. 22 in Tokyo, a legal team representing the former members said they are seeking the largest out-of-court settlement from the church through collective negotiations.
“The church claims that it has changed, but it first must face up to the enormous damages it has caused for more than four decades,” said Katsuomi Abe, one of the leaders of the team. “We urge the church to compensate victims for all damages, including older cases for which the statute of limitations has expired.”
The church, now formally called the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, has long been the target of lawsuits seeking compensation for financial losses caused mainly by shady sales tactics.
The latest demand was not made in a lawsuit. Depending on their circumstances, the former followers want the church to pay between 2 million yen and 220 million yen each, according to the legal team, which comprises 333 lawyers.
“We will discuss how to respond to the matter after examining the claim,” said a public relations official of the church.
Many of the 50 former followers sought support at a helpline opened in September 2022 by the Japan Federation of Bar Associations.
“They demanded money at every gathering I attended until they emptied my bank account,” a former follower in her 80s from the Kansai region said at the news conference.
The woman said she is seeking the return of 140 million yen that she gave to the church between 2009 and 2022 through donations, copies of scriptures and other expensive items.
The team argues the church violated laws by disguising its identity when recruiting members and forcing them to make donations by exploiting their psychological and emotional vulnerabilities.
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