Woman Talks Of Regret Over Huge Donations To Ex - Unification Church
A woman has told NHK how she spent more than 30 million yen, or about 220,000 dollars, on so-called spiritual sales and donations for the religious group formerly known as the Unification Church.
The woman, in her 60s, left the group several years ago. She says her first contact with members of the organization came when she asked a friend for advice about her husband's illness.
The friend introduced her to a place where a person looked at her family tree and warned that her son could also become ill. The person said that to avoid such a fate, she should buy Buddhist prayer beads that cost about 850 dollars.
After the woman began visiting the group's facility, she was told to show her bankbook.
She was also instructed to atone for sins committed by her ancestors. To do so, she donated about 72,000 dollars to the group.
She says the group repeatedly made her buy various items, including a jar that could supposedly be used to trap an evil spirit, as well as books featuring the writings of the group's founder.
The woman says it seems strange now, but she didn't hesitate to spend a large sum of money because she believed everything the group told her.
Shortly before she cut ties, she and her husband demanded the return of the money she had spent.
The group agreed to return about 36,000 dollars, but requested the couple provide a written promise that they would not make any further demands.
The woman refused the request, and is still negotiating with the group through her lawyer.
She referred to a bill aimed at offering relief to victims of spiritual sales and donations. She says she is deeply sorry for wasting the money her hardworking husband had earned. She hopes the government will create a framework that enables victims and their relatives to recover the money they spent.