A new draft bill unveiled Friday aims to help spouses or children of religious group followers who have made excessive donations, leading families to financial ruin.
Under the bill, such family members would be able to get some money back if the follower made the donation due to the entity's coercion or its creation of anxiety or circumstances that "confused" them. The outline of the bill was revealed in a meeting between the secretaries-general of ruling and opposition parties.
The move comes after the Unification Church’s aggressive donation-seeking practices were put in the spotlight following the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in July. Tetsuya Yamagami, who was arrested on suspicion of shooting Abe, has reportedly told police that he held a grudge against the politician over his ties to the church. Yamagami’s mother was a church follower who gave away ¥100 million to the group, leaving her bankrupt, according to news reports.