Japan Govt. Outlines Relief Bill For Ex - Unification Church Victims
The Japanese government has come up with an outline of planned legislation to regulate malicious canvassing of donations by religious groups and other entities.
The move is part of efforts to provide relief to people who made large donations to the controversial religious organization previously known as the Unification Church.
The head of the Consumer Affairs Agency and other officials presented the outline on Friday to the secretaries-general of six ruling and opposition parties.
The legislation targets individual donations to corporate entities.
It would ban malicious acts of solicitation, and grant victims the right to cancel and reclaim the donations.
The legislation would also grant the same right to the victims' dependents, although in a limited manner.
Children, for example, could use the right to reclaim donations up to the amount parents would normally spend to raise them until they become adults at age 18.
Corporations would also be barred from forcing individuals to take out loans or sell their houses to raise money to donate.
The legislation would impose criminal penalties on entities that engage in the prohibited acts and disobey government guidance and orders to correct their practices.
The government plans to submit the draft legislation to the ongoing session of the Diet.