Lawyers say church caused suffering for Abe’s alleged killer

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — A group of lawyers said Friday that the alleged assassin of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was one of many victims of the Unification Church. The church has become a focus of intense attention in Japan since Abe was assassinated in July. The suspect, Tetsuya Yamagami, told investigators that he was motivated by Abe’s links to the church, which he hated because of the massive donations his mother made to the church that ruined his family and his life. The church in a statement “strongly protested” the lawyers’ claims, which it said were hurting followers’ credibility and causing a risk of hate crimes against them.