The mother of Tetsuya Yamagami, accused of murdering Shinzo Abe, is a member of the Unification Church, the organization also known as the “Moon Sect” confirmed on Monday.
The mother of the man accused of murdering Shinzo Abe is a member of the Unification Church, the organization, also known as the “Moon Sect”, confirmed on Monday, and for which the suspect had said he wanted revenge by targeting the former Japanese Prime Minister. Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, “resented a certain organization” and decided to kill Shinzo Abe because he believed the former head of government had a connection with it, Japanese police said on Friday.
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Japanese media quickly mentioned a religious organization without naming it, and claimed that Tetsuya Yamagami was angry with it because it allegedly obtained large donations from her mother, putting their own family in great financial difficulty. “The suspect’s mother Tetsuya Yamagami is a member of our organization and participates in Church events about once a month,” Tomihiro Tanaka, president of the Japanese branch of the Unification Church, said Monday during a meeting. a hastily organized press conference in Tokyo. He did not give details of the suspect’s mother’s donations, citing the ongoing police investigation, which the organization wants to “cooperate” with.
“We do not know the circumstances that led this family to bankruptcy”
This woman joined this cult in 1998 and the organization learned that she had found herself in serious financial difficulty around 2002, according to Mr Tanaka. “We do not know the circumstances that led this family to bankruptcy.” He also assured that donations for the Church were made on a voluntary basis, and that the amounts were free. This official also stressed that his organization was horrified by the assassination of Shinzo Abe, who had “never” been one of its members or advisers.
Shinzo Abe died of his injuries after being attacked by bullets on Friday while speaking at a political rally in Nara (western Japan) for the senatorial elections on Sunday. The local police acknowledged serious shortcomings in the security of the event.
The Unification Church was founded in 1954 in South Korea by Sun Myung Moon (1920-2012). It is mainly present in this country as well as in the United States and Japan. The teachings of this cult famous for its collective mass marriages are based on the Bible, with new interpretations. A very controversial figure who became a billionaire thanks to the vast economic empire built by his Church, Moon claimed to have had at the age of 15 a vision of Jesus Christ enjoining him to continue his mission, so that humanity reaches a stage of purity. “without sin”.