Unification Church complains about “untruthful” media reports
12:05 JST, July 18, 2022
TOKYO (Jiji Press)—The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, better known as the Unification Church, claimed Sunday that “many” media reports on the religious group over the fatal shooting of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are “untruthful” and “based on speculation.”
The Unification Church made the claim in a statement addressed to news organizations.
The media have reported that the suspected shooter, Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, had a grudge against the religious group as his mother, a follower of the group, had made large donations to the group, leading to the collapse of his family, and that he believed Abe was linked to the group.
In the statement, the group said that its official’s remark at a press conference on Monday that the group has not had trouble with its followers since 2009 does not mean there was no trouble at all, adding that it is true that there has been such cases, albeit “very few.”
The group also said the suspect’s harsh family environment does not justify the crime. At the same time, the group said that it cannot help but have a feeling of pity toward the suspect and that it has to admit that it failed to provide sufficient support for his family.
"Society" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
Japan Court OKs Sex Change without Surgery
-
3 Climbers Die On Mt. Fuji Within 2 Days Of Opening; Japan Police, Guides Urge Climbers To Prepare Well, Make Wise Decisions
-
Sex Crime Perpetrators Linked to U.S. Military in 166 Cases in Japan over 35 years; Local, Prefectural Governments Often Not Aware of Crimes
-
New Mt. Fuji Rules Reduce ‘Bullet Climbers’ by 90%; Access to Japan’s Iconic Peak Limited from Yamanashi Pref. Side
-
Tokaido Shinkansen Trains Suspended Between Hamamatsu and Nagoya Due to Accident; Resuming Services Expected Noon at Earliest
JN ACCESS RANKING
- Aviation Fuel Shortage Causes Problems at Regional Airports; Growing Demand, Lack of Workers to Transport
- Prices of over 10,000 Food and Beverage Items to Rise This Year; Figure is down from over 30,000 Last Year
- Sony Group to End Production of Blu-ray Discs; Market Has Shrunk Due To Growth Of Hard Disk Drives, Streaming
- Japan Ministry Concerned Over Same-Sex Couple Receiving City-Issued Resident Certificates Referring to ‘Common-Law Husband’
- Japan Court OKs Sex Change without Surgery