The ``National Unification Church Damage Countermeasures Lawyers'' has returned donations to the church for 50 former members and family members who have complained that they were forced to donate due to illegal solicitation activities, totaling more than 1.6 billion yen. started collective bargaining.
This was revealed at a press conference by the ``National Unification Church Damage Countermeasures Defense Team'' made up of more than 300 lawyers.
The defense team is proceeding to confirm the details of the more than 280 cases of consultation regarding the former Unification Church that have been received by the government and others. About 50 former believers and family members who complained that they were forced to purchase goods, they sent a notice requesting refunds to the cult.
The amount of donations for refunds amounted to 1.4 billion yen, and negotiations will be made to pay more than 1.6 billion yen together with the compensation.
The former Civil Code stipulates that compensation cannot be demanded after 20 years have passed since the illegal act, but since it was not possible to demand a refund at that time, damages that occurred more than 20 years ago were also included in the negotiations. about it.
The lawyers say that if negotiations do not resolve the issue, they will consider filing a lawsuit, and will hold a second collective bargaining as soon as the other former members are ready.
A former believer in her 80s, who attended the conference and asked for a refund of approximately 140 million yen, said, "After my husband became ill, I began to be invited to believers, and I made a donation in the hope that he would be cured. Children. I felt sorry for my deceased husband, so I decided to consult a lawyer," she said with tears in her eyes.
Attorney Katsuomi Abe, a lawyer, said, ``The former Unification Church is appealing for reform, but I want you to face the damage in the past and provide relief and support for the damage that has passed the statute of limitations.''
Former Unification Church Homepage "Respond appropriately to individual needs"
The former Unification Church, "Family Federation for World Peace and Unification," says on its website, "We are responding appropriately to individual requests to return donations."
What is collective bargaining
This time, the "National Unification Church Damage Countermeasures Defense Team", which has revealed that it has begun negotiations with the religious group to seek refunds, has received many consultations from Houterasu and the Japan Federation of Bar Associations. It was formed with the participation of more than one person.
According to the defense team, they have negotiated individually for refunds so far, but they have solicited them without letting them know that they are the former Unification Church, and they have caused anxiety that they need to resolve their ancestors' grudges. As there are many similar damages, this time we decided to negotiate collectively for refunds.
In addition to reducing the cost of requesting a lawyer by negotiating collectively, it is said that even if there is insufficient evidence to calculate the amount of damage, the possibility that the complaint will be accepted increases. Many of the people complaining about this are elderly people, so I would like the cult to respond to negotiations promptly and in good faith."
The defense team will consider filing a lawsuit if it is not resolved through discussions with the cult.
Former believer woman in her 30s “Family understanding triggered by incident”
A former Christian woman in her 30s living in the Kanto region participated in the collective bargaining this time after gaining the understanding of her family as the media coverage of the former Unification Church increased in the wake of the incident.
More than 10 years ago, a woman was approached at a train station in Tokyo asking her to answer a questionnaire.
A woman who lost her mother when she was young was taken to exhibitions by her followers, who told her that she was going to be a memorial service for her ancestors, and that she wore jewelry and kimonos. etc. has been purchased.
The woman said, ``I was told that jewelry has power, so if you have it, you can use it as a talisman. I was taken by the flow that I should study more."
She left the church six years ago and got married, but her husband blamed her for joining the Church, and they sometimes got into fights.
The woman said, ``I thought I had no choice but to give up on the things I bought related to the former Unification Church. I thought that the believers of ' were not to be blamed, "he revealed his heart.
However, after the incident in July last year, when reports about the former Unification Church increased, her husband understood that the situation had become clear. about it.
In this collective bargaining, the woman asked for a refund of about 2.6 million yen. I want to continue," he said.
Former believer woman in her 70s “Left the group after the incident and engage in collective bargaining”
A former believer in her 70s living in the Kanto region who continued her faith for more than 30 years until last autumn and donated more than 10 million yen left the group after last year's incident and participated in collective bargaining.
In January, the woman and her daughter visited a lawyer's office to discuss the damage.
The woman joined the church after being recruited by an acquaintance who pretended to be from another religious group. , about five years later when her husband died.
The woman was told by other believers that her husband was suffering in hell, and was forced to donate 5 million yen from his life insurance money. It is said that he repeatedly said such things as this and accumulated debts, and donated more than 10 million yen in total.
"She was in debt and donating from the beginning. She continued because she wanted her husband to be healthy and her family happy," she said.
And she said that she decided to leave the society after receiving strong persuasion from her daughter in the wake of the incident in July last year. I am relieved to be able to do it," he said.
The daughter, who came to consult with her mother, said, "I thought I was saving money for my old age, so when I opened my passbook, there was nothing, and I was shocked to find out that my card had gone bankrupt. I talked to the cult alone. I think it's good to work with a group because it's hard to get a refund."