Japan enacts law to help Unification Church donation victims

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s parliament has enacted a law to restrict malicious donation solicitations by religious and other groups, which mainly targets the Unification Church, whose fundraising tactics and cozy ties with the governing party caused public outrage. The South Korean-based religious group’s decades-long ties with Japan’s governing Liberal Democratic Party surfaced after the July assassination of former leader Shinzo Abe. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, whose support ratings tumbled, sought to calm public fury over his handling of the scandal and has replaced three Cabinet ministers. The new law allows believers, donors and their families to seek the return of their money and prohibits religious groups from soliciting funds by coercion or linking donations to spiritual salvation.