A counseling session was held in Tokyo for former Unification Church members and their families.

This event was held by the Unification Church Victim Families Association, which is run by former members of the former Unification Church and their families.



Since 2003, this organization has been providing counseling and support for financial troubles and withdrawal from the former Unification Church, and although it is usually handled by phone and email, it also holds face-to-face counseling sessions several times a year. .



After the incident, the number of consultations increased rapidly, and the vice president of the group said, "I want to reduce the damage to the former Unification Church as much as possible so that the incident will not be forgotten."



At the consultation meeting, participants asked questions and provided advice, such as what to do to prevent mothers of believers from donating any more, and that there was no one around them to talk to about their concerns.



The vice president of the Unification Church Victim Families Association said, "It will take a long time, but we can definitely solve it, so I would like you to use this kind of counseling session instead of carrying it alone."



On the other hand, the former Unification Church, "Family Federation for World Peace and Unification," said in a press conference so far, "Especially after 2009, we asked our followers not to do anything that could be socially or legally problematic. We are working hard to ensure compliance."

A woman in her 30s whose mother is a believer “I want to leave the church even if it takes time”

A woman in her 30s who participated in the consultation was informed by her father that her mother was a member of the former Unification Church several years ago.



Her mother has donated money for her house many times, and she wants her to leave the church because of this incident, but her mother won't listen and she said to be suffering.



After the consultation meeting, the woman said, "I want to get my mother to leave the group so that she doesn't donate any more, but I'm worried because I don't know what to do. Today I was able to hear from a former believer how to leave the group, and I learned a lot. I think it will take time, but I would like to continue so that my mother can leave the society."

Former believer, male in his 20s “I want to avoid having troubles alone”

A man in his 20s who was a former believer who participated in the counseling session.



His parents are religious II who participated in a "mass wedding", and he has been attending church facilities for nearly 20 years since he can remember.



It is said that his own savings were withdrawn and donated to his parents without permission.



According to the man, about seven years ago, when the family of a believer who attended the same church died, the church demanded a large amount of money "for prayer", and he had doubts. , is said to have stopped coming.



However, he continued to feel guilty about acting contrary to the teachings of the church, and he was in the hospital at one point.



After that, his symptoms calmed down, but he learned that the suspect was a second generation like himself in this case, and now he is suffering from insomnia.



Since there was no one around him to talk about going to church, the man said, "I have no one to talk to, and I have always been alone with my worries and anxieties. I want to participate in the community and so on so that I don't have to carry it alone."