Forced participation in religious activities to be classified as child abuse in Japan

The controversial Unification Church came to attention this year after former prime minister Shinzo Abe was fatally shot by a man with longstanding grudges against the religious group. - Reuters

TOKYO (The Japan News/Asia News Network): New health ministry guidelines in Japan will classify as abuse any acts by members of religious groups that threaten or force their children to participate in religious activities, or that hinder a child’s career path based on religious doctrine.

According to unnamed sources cited by Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbun, the Health, Labour, and Welfare Ministry is preparing its first draft of guidelines to help local governments deal with issues of child abuse that have emerged in connection with religious groups such as the Unification Church, officially known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification.