Voices of Victims
WRITTEN STATEMENT
Toru GOTO
April 2nd, 2008
Their actions including the prolonged confinement lasting 12 years and 5 months as well as the collective abuses, spiritual and physical, to force my renunciation of faith amounted to nothing but tortures.
I can never pardon their actions, as they deprived me of my fundamental human dignity as well as the most precious period of my life.
And yet, those involved such as my family members and Miyamura have yet shown any remorse or apology. Miyamura even tried to divert blame on him by saying that he never knew that the entrance door of the Ogikubo Flower Home was padlocked.
One of the reasons with which I could keep my faith was because their inhuman and brutal behaviors convinced me that those anti-UC individuals such as Miyamura and my family did manifest the evil and I should never fall into their rank. I was also determined that I shall definitely disclose such horrendous human rights violations to the society when I will make myself free from the unlawful confinement.
Mitsuko ANTAL
January 15th 1999
My parents were guided by the lies of the anti-UC ministers into a misunderstanding that the Unification Church is a criminal organization. They were made to believe that kidnapping and confinement for custody and rescue of UC members were not illegal. If this situation continues, I believe it is very possible that my parents will try to kidnap me again.
I received the vicious injuries repeatedly by Rev. Shimizu under the guise of “custody” and “rescue”. He advised my kidnapping and confinement, repeatedly threatening to assault me. During confinement, I tried three times to commit suicide. Rev Shimizu completely destroyed our parents-child trust. I received serious mental anguish. He must take full responsibility for my mental and physical damages so that he will never be allowed to commit this kind of criminal action.
Rie IMARI
September 1st, 1997
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.
Michiyo Miyakoshi
Three days later, a policeman dropped by to confirm the mail address of this place. I made a racket and said, "Help me, I'm locked up here!", so he came inside and heard me out. Then, he said, "I'll go and discuss this with my senior, so please settle down." I harbored a hope that I could finally be set free.
However, my father went to the police station and explained the situation, and he said that the policeman said, "I won't interfere with a religious issue." When the landlord of the apartment came to tell us to "Get out," my father also persuaded him.
Hiroko TOMIZAWA
October 2nd, 1998
On 10th June Pastor Takazawa showed up and spoke for about an hour. He rebuked me with such abusive languages like "June's slug!", "a rat in the attic" or "a dying cockroach". He came to the place virtually every day for the first week.
Then, his visits became less frequent to every other day and finally once or twice a week.
Whenever Pastor Takazawa came, he used to hit my back or knees very hard.
Also, someone called Heizaburo Ohe came three days a week. A total of eight former church members were apparently directed to visit me. Pastor Takazawa admitted that he had seven people under his custody at the same time. At one point, he questioned me, saying "How many apartment keys do you think I have?"
Since early July, my body suffered from psychopathic stomach ache, which would last throughout the confinement. Towards the end of July, I had inflammation of urinary bladder. Even then, Pastor Takazawa declared not to take me to a hospital.
In July or August, my father was interrogated at the Tottori Police Station. Upon returning, father said, "Everything was all right!" I had anticipated my liberation, when I learned about my father's interrogation. But no words came from the police.
O・K（male）
March 21, 2003
I think it is difficult for someone who does not have a strong religious faith to understand someone with a strong religious faith. However, in the United States and many countries in the world, it is taken for granted that everyone has the right to live in the pursuit of happiness based on one’s faith. I believe that one should never be confined and pressured to be converted because of a difference in faith.
I believe that it would have been impossible for amateurs like my parents to deliberately install additional locks on every window and door and remodel an entire apartment for confinement purposes. It is obvious that their confinement activities were carried out with instructions from Rev. Shimizu.
I feel indignant about the fact that such blatant violations of human rights have continued for years without any criticism. I desire a harsh sentence against Rev. Shimizu and others lest such action be repeated again.
Misa Takasu
2003年4月11日
Towards the January end, I resigned the work to take some rest for a while. Alone, however, I could not get rid of anxieties. As I looked for anything I could do, I met the Yokohama Women's Forum which was supporting self-help groups. In February I attended the Addiction Seminar, which assembled those who were engaged in self-help activities nationwide. There, I met with an acquainted ex-UC member, who was involved in a alcoholics self-help group.
When I suggested "to set up a self-help group for the abducted and confined", she disclosed that her alcoholic dependency had stemmed from the abduction and confinement! She had left the UC four years earlier than me, but appealed to stop those methods of abduction and confinement, receiving little response. Thus, she had to deal with the problem as her personal case, causing the alcoholic dependency syndrome. She happened to meet me, right after she could discover its cause.
Likewise, I believe there must be many who are suffering from PTSD stemming from abduction and confinement. In my case, after seven long years, still scars and trauma from the abduction and confinement remain deep in my being. Nonetheless, I wish I could alleviate the sufferings of many people like me by disseminating the issue of abduction and confinement on the website.
Kumiko Tojo
April 4th, ２０１０
I wonder what the point was of my being confined for six months.
My father used to work all the time; since he was not at retirement age, he started to work hard again after that. My sister’s daughter, who was in the first year of elementary school at that time, is a university student now. I felt the time has flown by quickly, but I still sometimes wish it had never happened. After that experience, I used to visit my husband’s family with doubts as if I might be confined again.
I feel angry that even now this kind of experience is still happening somewhere in Japan.
Fortunately, after that, my husband and I had a child and we are living happily, but I can’t ignore that there are people in difficult situations physically and spiritually because of kidnapping and confinement.
It was an unbelievable and annoying half year. I hope our experience can help those people who are suffering more than we are, and I want to accuse the people involved in kidnapping and confinement who ignore human rights.
Hirohisa KOIDE
October 1st, 1996
In early July, Miyamura introduced me to Mr. Yoshifu Arita, an anti-Unificationist journalist, and a reporter of the Weekly Bunshun.
I could not refuse the interview, and at times had to agree to the story that Arita was creating, having no choice but to bend the facts.
After the interview, Mr. Arita said, “I’m impressed by how you endured, being locked up for a year!”
Soichiro KOBAYASHI
1999年12月9日
My father said, “My son was made fanatic with the UC! It’s a parent-child matter.” Ignoring his assertion, the policeman questioned me. “What is the matter with you?” I told him: “I have been abducted! As I have the basic human rights, please get me out of this place!”
The policeman said to the father, “He says this and he has his own will. Why don’t you let him go?”
Then, some seven unknown people who had assisted my abduction surrounded the policeman, shouting all at once, “This guy has been mind-controlled!” Overwhelmed by their pressure, the policeman said at last to my father, “You may go!”
