Lawyers who have long accused the Unification Church of aggressive donation-collecting practices in Japan have pushed back against the church’s claim that it reformed its ways in 2009, when it faced police scrutiny over the issue.
The spotlight has fallen on donations to the church following the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe — the suspect in the shooting has reportedly told police that he targeted the former prime minister because he believed Abe to be linked to the church, which the suspect blames for causing his mother's bankruptcy due to its forceful pursuit of donations.
The National Network of Lawyers Against Spiritual Sales said at a news conference Tuesday that these problematic practices continue, despite the church's claim to the contrary earlier this week.