The mother of the suspect involved in the fatal shooting of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is reportedly feeling sorry for causing trouble for the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, also known as the Unification Church.
Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, who was arrested immediately after him. shot abe in the back on July 8, 2022, he expressed resentment against the religious group during investigations by the Nara Prefectural Police.
the suspect told investigators that her mother went bankrupt after making large donations to the religious group, which eventually led to the ruin of his family.
Before the murder, Yamagami even send a letter to a blogger who said the Unification Church had ruined his life, “destroying my family and bankrupting it.”
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Yamagami’s mother had reportedly been making large donations to the church, of which she has been a member for more than 20 years.
“It is no exaggeration to say that my experience with him during that time continues to distort my entire life,” Yamagami wrote in a letter.
According to Yamagami’s uncle, his nephew called him for help when his mother left her hungry children alone while attending church. the mother said donated 100 million yen (approximately $1 million at the time) to the church.
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Having gone bankrupt in 2002, the woman kept donating to the church in smaller numbers, under the principle of “world peace and unification”.
On July 11, the church issued a press release stating that donation amounts are determined by individual members.
In Yamagami’s letter, he accused Abe of supporting the church.
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Following the revelation, Yamagami’s mother, who has been staying at her uncle’s house since the shooting, apologized for causing trouble for the religious group during a recent hearing at the Nara District Prosecutor’s Office.
Founded in South Korea by the Rev. Sun Myung Moon in 1954, the Unification Church opened its first overseas branch in Japan some five years later. the church had they developed close ties to the right-wing Liberal Democratic Party, which was formed by Abe’s grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi.
The Japan branch eventually became the largest source of income for the church.
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Over the years, the church has drawn controversy for its involvement in business and politics, with some critics accusing it of being a dangerous cult.
As Yagami’s remarks thrust the controversial church back into the spotlight, Unification Church of Japan representative Susumu Sato expressed concern that church members could become scapegoats for death. of Abe.
While he admitted that some members encouraged supporters to donate excessively, he stated that most donors were motivated by faith.
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