Court to Give Sentence to Abe Shooter Wed.

Tokyo, Jan. 20 (Jiji Press)–A district court in western Japan is scheduled to hand down a sentence on Wednesday to the man accused of fatally shooting former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022. A key issue is how Nara District Court will assess the influence on the defendant, Tetsuya Yamagami, of his mother’s involvement with the Unification Church, formally known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. Yamagami, 45, reportedly targeted Abe because of the former prime minister’s ties with the controversial religious group, to which his mother made large donations, leading to his family’s collapse. Regarding Yamagami’s background, the defense claimed that he was a victim of “religious abuse.” Meanwhile, the prosecution argued that this should not significantly reduce his sentence. Ahead of Wednesday’s ruling, children of Unification Church believers voiced mixed feelings. A woman in her 30s, whose parents donated tens of millions of yen to the group, said it was “heartbreaking” to hear about Yamagami’s background in the news, and that she felt strong sympathy for Yamagami. “The defendant’s situation is one of the most difficult among children of Unification Church believers,” the woman said. “There could be room for leniency.” Meanwhile, a woman in her 50s, who is one of these children and was a follower herself, said that his background “should not be a reason for acquittal” and that his actions “cannot be accepted.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]