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Victim's voice
WRITTEN STATEMENT
Rie IMARI
WRITTEN STATEMENT
September 1st, 1997
Rie IMARI
I was abducted and confined twice by my parents, relatives and pastors of the United Church of Christ in Japan (UCCJ), who attempted to force me to leave the Unification Church. First confinement was between October 23rd and 27th 1995. The second was between January 10th and June 9th 1997. I was born on May 11th 1970. My family consists of five members; my father, mother and two sisters.
I joined CARP (Collegiate Association for Research of Principles), a student organization affiliated to the Unification Church, in December 1990. I became a full-fledged member of the Unification Church in 1995, then got married to Toshiya IMARI at the Blessing Marriage Ceremony held in August 1995. Here, I would like to describe primarily about my second confinement.
- First confinement
On October 23rd 1995, I was abducted from my house in Yokohama by my parents and a deprogrammer Sato, then confined in an apartment in Gunma Prefecture. Fortunately, taking advantage of a brief moment, I jumped down bare-footed from the second floor and could escape.
Afterwards, as I could neither go home nor return to the work place for fear of another confinement, I had to seek a safe haven in my husband's family home for about three months. In November 1995, I was formally married to Toshiya IMARI and registered as such. I tried, by letters or telephones to my family, to settle the matter through discussion, all in vain. - The second abduction and confinement
Around 8:00 PM of January 10th 1997, I and my husband had a dinner with my sister Mayu to celebrate her birthday at the Denny’s Restaurant in Kawasaki City. About half past ten in the evening, as we were leaving the restaurant, I was held up by people in hiding including my mother. In the ensuing uproar, my husband called my name at his loudest, while I screamed to him with all my strength.
But after all, I was pushed into a car, which took me all the way to Hagio Villa No.302, Shinwa-cho 2060, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture. Those who were involved in my abduction were: my father, mother, sister, my uncle and aunt, aunt's brother as well as, probably, my father's friend. Later, one of my sister confided me that this apartment was chosen because Sakae KUROTORI of the Totsuka Church, UCCJ, could easily come for my deprogramming.
As my detention started, I asserted that what they were doing was tantamount to rampant human rights violation. But my father did not concede to my claim, saying, "This is merely a talk between parents and the child!"
Around the noon of January 12th, my uncle and aunt went away. Since then on for five months, my hellish days began, unlawfully confined by my father, mother and sister. - Apartment in Yokohama
The apartment room was tightly locked with chains and two sets of padlocks closing the entrance door. Their keys were kept in the waist pouch which my father put on 24 hours a day. The windows were covered all over with line-patterned, thick, half-transparent vinyl with special mechanism applied not to be opened. The toilet was not locked and sliding screens removed. I could be alone only in the bathroom or the toilet.
My cellular phone was taken away and I was unable to communicate with my husband nor my company. Needless to say, I was not allowed to go out, placed under the 24-hour guard by my father and sister, both of them said they had quit their jobs, as well as my mother.
I tried hard, until the third week of January, to persuade them that this is not an appropriate circumstance to discuss. But they insisted that the confinement was the only method to facilitate discussions, and pressured me to speak out about my side of the story.
From the week's end until the beginning of the fourth week, I had to talk about my thoughts and the Unification Movement. This was actually a part of the deprogramming processes, as I later learned at a study session in the Totsuka Church. Overwhelmed and shocked by those unlawful behaviors, I felt powerless and lay down from the end of the fourth week till mid fifth week.
My parents and sister appeared to be instructed by someone as they changed subjects of discussion. I learned later that during the confinement, my parents and Mayu were communicating with Pastor Kurotori on regular basis at the fixed timing.
My parents at some points nearly gave up the confinement, but were persuaded to continue by Pastor Kurotori. He said, "We shall carry it through until she leaves the faith. Once confined, she should never be let go. It is for her interest!” - Relocated to an apartment in Fujisawa
In the evening of February 15th, my father announced to relocate. Later, mys sister told me that we were suspected by a male resident downstairs, thus obliged to leave this place.
Half past noon of February 16th, I was escorted out of the apartment by my father, 36 days after the confinement had begun! But awaiting me outside the door were my mother, sister, aunt and Makoto (aunt's younger brother), under whose escort I was relocated to Gloria Shonan B101, Ishikawa 646-11, Fujisawa City, the second site of my confinement.
There again, the entrance door was closed with chains and two sets of padlocks, whose keys were kept in my father's waist pouch. Toilet's lock was removed, as well. Also, as there was no sliding screen, I had to go to toilet or bathroom to change my clothes.
From February 16th for two months, I was obliged to give lectures on Divine Principle. On April 6th the DP lectures were over, and on 7th April they showed a pamphlet entitled "This is the true face!" prepared by Coordinating Group on Divine Principles, UCCJ. They demanded my comments on each of the points. - Second relocation
On April 10th, they once again faced a situation necessitating a relocation. I learned of its cause later: the police was checking about us, and they were concerned about being in Yokohama.
Before my abduction, my father went to the Miyamae Police, which reportedly said to my father, "Please do it amicably, will you?" Thus, my father was shocked by the apparent change of mind at the police.
The relocation was assisted by a man and a woman in their 50s or 60s. The woman turned out to be Miss Nakada, who would show up later in the Totsuka Church.
When I went to the dining room, this woman, unaware of my presence, was asking my father in low voice. "Do you have a contact information of Rev. Shimizu?" When I talked about it to Pastor Kurotori, my parents and sister, they unanimously uttered words of sigh and disappointment. "Oh, you heard that, didn't you?"
My parents and the pastor tried to conceal the pastor's involvement in order to claim that they were not engaged in deprogramming me, until the pastor's engagement was finally disclosed.
Around half past 9:00 PM of April 10th, I was taken by Wakabayashi's vehicle to a vicinity of the Ota Hachiman Church in Gunma Prefecture. About half past midnight of April 11th, one white light vehicle with a Shiga plate number joined us and led us to Bic-Wing No.630, Dia Palace, Oaza Uenodai 2352, Fukaya City, Saitama Prefecture. The driver of this white vehicle was none other than Pastor Shimizu.
As I learned later, this apartment was rented by "Nakagawa-san" in order to deprogram his own daughter and was vacated at dusk that day. According to my mother, Pastor Kurotori instructed each family concerned to rent a room for confinement. Thus, there are apartments in suspension for over one year, but Pastor Shimizu is said to facilitate a room’s sublease for emergency.
In the apartment, I was not allowed to areas beyond the toilet, especially near the entrance. The windows were iron-barred.
From April 11th for about one week, they asked for my explanations concerning the points specified in the pamphlet that criticized the Unification Church and was published by UCCJ. When I went through my comments, they asked me to verify all these points with the pastor, as well.
They were so persistent that I thought unless I agreed to call upon the pastor, I would not be let out of this place. - Enter Pastor Shimizu
Around 7:00 PM of April 19th, Pastor Yoshio Shimizu of the Ota Hachiman Church, UCCJ, came to the apartment. From this day on, the deprogramming talks were addressed to me in earnest.
As my notes indicate, Pastor Shimizu came to the apartment in Fukaya 9 times: April 19, 21, 22, 28, May 6, 13, 18, 25 and June 2. He came in the dusk only once, the rest of the times he came around 10:00 or 11:00 o’clock PM at the earliest and 11:30 at the latest, usually speaking over three hours. He once stayed up until 4:00 AM.
Pastor Shimizu brought a lot of materials and news clippings criticizing the Unification Church. Asking for my comments on the information, he blamed on "my misconceptions". If I kept silent, he accused me, "You are not serious!" or "You are turning your back!" When I would consent to his claims, he appreciated my comments.
"You cannot comprehend because your IQ is low", he would utter careless words like this that would deny my personality. He used to press his viewpoints unilaterally on me and went back in self satisfaction. - fake departure from the church
In order to get out of this situation, there was no other way but to renounce the faith. On May 23rd, finally I confessed in tears. "I was wrong! I am terribly sorry!", I said, giving up my personal integrity and dignity for once. Then, from that day onward, the talks with sister shifted to how to persuade my husband.
On May 25th around 11:00 PM, Pastor Shimizu came to discuss with me and Miho about my husband's 'rescue' (namely, deprogramming) up until 4:00AM next morning. At one point, when my husband's injury was a topic, Pastor Shimizu said, "He was not in serious condition! He is making fuss about it!"
From this day on, I was obliged to accompany Pastor Shimizu to visit the church members in confinement every day. Around 1:00 (or 2:00) PM of May 26th, my mother drove a car with Pastor Shimizu, my father, sister and myself riding inside to a person called K who was confined for deprogramming at Sunrise Ota, second floor near Higashi Bessho 528, Ota City.
Pastor Shimizu had keys of all the rooms used for the deprogramming, as he was picking up one auto lock key from a bundle of keys.
On May 27th around 1:00 PM, the pastor, Nakagawa, myself and sister went to Y. W who was confined in Room No.602, Higashiyama Mansion near Kanayama-cho 26, Ota City, in a car driven by my mother. Pastor Shimizu said to Watanabe and her parents, "In Japan, civil cases are not intervened by the public authorities. Those children who would commit sins should never be let out of this place, or kill them!"
In the first week of June, the door's chains were removed and sliding screens were placed to the original positions. But I would not escape, waiting for a safer moment. - Meeting with Pastor Kurotori of Totsuka Church
On June 4th, accompanied by my father, mother and sister, I went to a study session in the Totsuka Church. My mother appreciated Pastor Kurotori. "He is such a nice reverend with deep understanding about you. Originally, he was in charge of both times, wasn't he?" Owing to the police inspection which endangered Pastor Kurotori, he was switched by Pastor Shimizu.
As my parents entered into the church, several parents greeted them. "How nice that your daughter is out now!" My parents responded to them happily. At the Totsuka Church’s study session on the Unification Church, they reportedly conducted exercises on abduction and confinement. In case of fathers, for instance, they need to be trained to hold their daughters’ waist, overcoming their normal hesitation in order to carry the abduction through.
On June 5th from 7:30 PM, I attended a study session at the Ota Hachiman Church. Afterwards, from 0:30 AM till 2:00, Pastor Shimizu, my mother and myself discussed about our future plans as a follow-up to my consultation with Pastor Kurotori.
I reported to Pastor Kurotori that I would persuade my husband, and, together with him, will confine Miho. Pastor Shimizu was concerned about the plan. "Can you really do that?", he said. "You would get confident when you persuaded one or two individuals before going ahead."
On June 6th around 9:30 AM, we called Pastor Kurotori and set a plan for June 9th to discuss concretely on what to do from now on. Then, with the Pastor Kurotori's final permission, I and my family would go home right away.
On 9th June, we left the apartment, myself returning to my husband while my parents and sister Mayu going home in Yokohama. Pastor Kurotori and I talked in the pastors' residence of the Totsuka Church up until past noon. After concluding with pastor Kurotori, my confinement was to be terminated. - freedom after five months
On that day around 5:00 PM, I was let out of the car in front of a bus rotary near the JR Totsuka Station, leaving my mother and sister. I was finally liberated from the confinement! I could re-join my husband and mother-in law awaiting me at the Fujisawa Station around 7:00 PM. - Concluding my statement
During those five months, I was unable to go out nor communicate with people outside, causing tremendous nuisance and troubles to my husband, mother-in law and colleagues of my company. As for myself, even after the liberation, I had to undergo sleepless nights with nightmares plaguing my mind. After consulting with my husband, mother-in law and lawyers, I decided to seek for justice over my abduction and confinement. It is indeed heart-breaking and painful for me to sue someone as intimate as my parents and sister. But the case was already beyond a family conflict. I sincerely wish that the kind of damages inflicted upon me should be eliminated once and for all.
end
September 1st, 1997
