Stranger Things

Heung-jin Moon sadly died at the young age of 17.

Jan. 3, 1984: Moon's Son, 17, Dies After a Car Accident (The New York Times)

QuoteOne of the 13 children of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, the founder of the Unification Church, died early today in a hospital here, a hospital spokesman said.

A son of Mr. Moon - Heung-jin Moon, 17, of Irvington - had been in critical condition at St. Francis Hospital since an accident last month in which a car he was driving collided with a tractor-trailer on State Route 9 in Hyde Park.

A few months later, Heung-jin's was posthumously married to Julia Moon, daughter Of Pak Bo-hi. Two weddings were conducted: The dead Heung-jin with Julia Moon, and the (both living) In-jin Tatiana Moon, Heung-jin's sister, and James Pak, Julia's brother.

Nov. 13, 2013: The Fall Of The House Of Moon (Mariah Blake for The New Republic)

QuoteThe following year, Moon's 17-year-old son Heung-jin smashed his Jeep on an icy freeway and died. This created a theological quandary for Moon, since according to his teachings, only married couples could enter God's kingdom. He solved his dilemma by arranging to have his dead son marry Bo-hi Pak's second-eldest daughter, Julia.

At the same time, In-jin, who was 18, was to wed Pak's teenage son, James, In-Jin was mortified, according to family members. She had no interest in James, who was nerdy and quiet, and she was taken instead with his rowdy, handsome younger brother, Sam. But Moon insisted, and his wife stood by him, despite everything she had endured in her own arranged marriage. She even agreed to co-officiate the macabre ceremony. First, In-jin and James traded vows, then Julia trudged down the aisle holding a photo of the dead Heung Jin, after which James gave a groveling speech. "In a million years, I would never deserve to become the husband of In Jin," he said. "My mission is to work to deserve it for the rest of my life." The whole ordeal left In Jin traumatized. "She felt like it was institutional rape," says one member of her inner circle.

Note: Sam Park claims to be Moon's illegitimate son who was raised by Pak Bo-hi. Unbeknown to In-jin Moon, she hoped to marry a man who could well be her half-brother. It should be noted that those who cast doubt on Sam's claims are members or cult apologists.

And later, according to Moon, Heung-jin's soul returned to earth into the body of a member from Zimbabwe.

March 29, 1988: Theological Uproar In Unification Church (The Washington Post)

QuoteEvery night last fall, students at the Unification Theological Seminary would gather for the latest revelations from the land of the dead. A senior named Charles was hearing voices -- "channeling," it was called -- and relaying startling messages: Heung-jin Nim Moon, the late son of the Rev. Sun-myung Moon, was speaking from the "spirit world," watching and judging them.

Then last November, the sprawling 230-acre campus in Upstate New York was abuzz. The moment had arrived, seminary officials proclaimed: "Lord" Heung Jin Nim, killed in a 1984 car crash at age 17, had come back, reincarnated in the body of a visiting church member from Zimbabwe.

"About mid-November, I was told there was a black brother from Africa who had been prepared by Jesus . . . and that Heung-jin Nim had assumed his body," said Dick Richard, a former seminary student who recently left the church. "It obviously scared a lot of people there . .. but they went along with the whole thing because it came from Rev.Moon, the Messiah."

March 31, 1988: Moon Church Says Spirit of Leader's Dead Son has Returned (UPI)

April 1, 1988: Moon's 'Lost Son' Sparks an Uproar (The LA Times)

This is possibly my favorite Unification Church-related quote:

Quote"From the bottom of my navel, I don't want to know about this," said Ron Godwin, the Washington Times' senior vice president for business and a former executive of the Rev. Jerry Falwell's Moral Majority, when asked about the new Heung-jin Nim. "I know that such a person exists and that he's been preaching in the church. But I will walk a mile not to get involved.

Much more here. (Tragedy of the Six Maries)

And from the above link, two videos of that Zimbabwean, Cleophas aka "Black Heung-jin Nim", after parting with the Moons. He shares his version of events from 50:00 in the first video and claims it was all Moon's idea and shares knowledge of Moon's many affairs - although given the power differential between a "Messiah" and younger female followers, I don't think "affair" is the right word. And there are a lot of accusations that Black Heung-jin was violent which was one of the reasons Moon changed his mind. One person he assaulted was Pak Bo-hi, kind of his father-in-laa if you accept he was possessed by Heung-jin's spirit.

Part 1: https://vimeo.com/39941021

Part 2: https://vimeo.com/39949809

Clara Jones

June 5, 2017: At Age 20, I Was Married By The UC. Here's How I Broke Away.

July 16, 2020: 'Blessed Child' Review: Leaving the Fold, but Not Family (The New York Times/Internet Archive)

April, 2014: Marie Zivna Faithful Pioneer (Juraj Lajda/True Parents)

QuoteMarie Zivna was one of the first members of the Unification Church in Czechoslovakia -- she joined in 1972. She was a student of art at the university in the city of Brno. Michal Glonda, a brother who studied at the same university, invited Marie for a three-day seminar and explained the Divine Principle to her. Marie later mentioned that it was clear to her on the very first day that that this was the truth, but she did not say that until the seminar ended. Afterward she announced that she would join our church and started to work as a full-time member. She stopped studying, though she was in her final year and had been preparing for her thesis and final exams.

While there is no cause given for the accident, it is not inconceivable that sleep deprivation played a role:

QuoteOn Christmas day, 1972, she had a very bad car accident. Four other sisters were with her in the car including Betka. That nobody died was a miracle. Marie suffered a light brain shock and lost consciousness. Betka's spinal cowl was severed, paralyzing het Marie was always thinking of her. During the entire period that Betka was in the hospital and afterward, Marie took care of her as if she were Betka's loving mother. She forgot about her own pain in order to care for Betka. Later, while in prison when she met Betka in the corridor by chance, Marie's first question was, "Do you have warm clothes, Betka?"

QuoteMarie was arrested in late autumn 1973. With other brothers and sisters she was awaiting trial in Bratislava Prison. The trial began July 2, 1974 and lasted until July 19. On Easter Thursday, April 16, 1974, Marie died under suspicious circumstances in prison. The prison police sent a telegram to her parents stating that their daughter was dead. ...

In 1976 a brother had a dream about Marie. She looked very nice and healthy and had a round face. There was another girl with her in the dream. Marie said, "Why do my parents think I am dead? I live, in reality."

Related:
Jan. 1 2010: As A Peace-Loving Global Citizen by Sun-myung Moon (Pages 166-167 - Washington Times Foundation/True Parents)

QuoteOne member, Marie Zivna, lost her life while in prison at the young age of twenty-four. She was the first martyr who died while conducting missionary work in a communist country ...

People who went as missionaries to communist countries could not even tell their parents where they were going. The parents knew well the dangers of going to such countries and would never give permission for their children to go ...

I asked myself, "Is my life worth so much that it could be exchanged for theirs? How am I going to take on the responsibility for the evangelization of the communist bloc that they were bearing in my place?" I could not speak. I fell into a sorrow that seemed to have no end, as if I had been thrown into deep water. I saw Marie Zivna before me in the form of a yellow butterfly. The yellow butterfly that had escaped Czechoslovakia's prison fluttered its wings as if to tell me to be strong and to stand up. By carrying on her missionary activities at the risk of her life, Marie truly had been transformed from being a caterpillar to being a beautiful butterfly.

Twelve years later, the most comprehensive reporting on this group and its history. It's in Dutch - turn on English subtitles, unless you're Dutch! This stemmed from Dutch actor Jasper Demollin suddenly quitting his job, selling his home, and declaring he was devoting his life to a Korean guru. Not surprisingly, that concerned friends and family, and then award-winning Dutch investigative team Boos started to do what they have received awards for:

Dec. 3, 2025
Master Oh & Jasper Demollin: Korean Cult Uses Celebrities (Boos Media)

Next we follow the career of Master Oh. His lawyers recently in response to the December 2025 Dutch investigation linked below admitted that Master Oh was a student of the convicted criminals, and made the point that he has not been accused of nor convicted of a crime. He also, which isn't a crime, regularly visits Daeracheon. Nevertheless, he and the charities he was/is involved with, which have a habit of changing names quite frequently, make for interesting reading that share some similarities to the reasons his mentors went to jail.

Aug. 7, 2008: London Met Officers Praise "Energy Monks" (Bartholomew's Notes)

One omission from the above is the one police officer who identified himself by name in one of the videos: Commander Simon Foy:

QuoteHaving joined the Metropolitan Police Service in 1982, Simon was promoted to Commander in 2003 after 20 years working on murder and child abuse cases, and in some of the most challenging environments.

From 2007 to 2012 he was the head of the Metropolitan Police Homicide and Serious Crime Command, dealing with the investigation of murder and serious crime in both London and (where called on) around the world. In 2009 he became the head of the new specialist crime teams dealing with the investigation of rape, and also the teams dealing with child abuse and paedophile activity.

He was the national lead for the role of family liaison officers, Deputy Chair of the ACPO Homicide Working Group, and Chair of the Europol Homicide Working Group. Simon was a key figure in the creation of the National Homicide Service. He was awarded the Queens Police Medal in the Birthday Honours list of 2009

Sept. 6, 2008: Alternative Health Centre Accused of 'Brainwashing' (The Telegrah/Internet Archive for Easier Reading)

QuoteFormer clients of Ki Health International told The Sunday Telegraph that many of the treatments were effective but they felt pressure to pay large sums of money for "ancestral healing" — at £1,000 per course — to get rid of "negative energy" from their forebears, and to make extra donations. ...

The charity said that it had no "financial or managerial connection" with the organisation in Korea but confirmed that Park Gui-dal visited the centre in August last year, at Ki Health's invitation, and talked to clients.

Note: Park Gui-dal was I believe released six years into her original 10 year sentence, and gained control of the group. She was released before her husband who disappeared from the scene, perhaps starting his own group that has not gained any attention. As a convicted felon who served a significant time in jail, she should have been unable to enter the UK. False passport, or just a lack of information sharing between Korea and the UK at the time?

Aug 12. 2012: Master Oh, Harley Street Guru Who Treats Cancer Patients with Belching (David Harrelson for The Daily Mail)

QuoteA clinic run by a controversial guru who has treated BBC stars has refunded thousands to a terminal cancer patient who thought she could be healed without chemotherapy. Celebrity clients have included BBC sports presenters Gabby Logan and Clare Balding and actress Rula Lenska.

Miss Mohamed was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010 at the age of 25, but stopped NHS treatment in January 2011. She said: 'I came away from Innersound thinking chemotherapy  would not benefit me and I shouldn't have it. 'Master Oh was gentle, knowledgeable and spiritual and Innersound has a reputation as a respectable organisation.' Miss Mohamed paid the clinic £16,000 for a series of Oriental 'energy' therapies, including meditation and chanting.

Although she said that she felt some initial improvement, in March this year doctors told her she had just two to three years to live. Miss Mohamed, from North London, instructed lawyers to reclaim the money she spent on treatment and was paid £12,000 by the clinic on 'compassionate grounds' – but with no admission of liability.

Miss Mohamed, who is now  seeking to raise money for specialist treatment in the US, said: 'As a professional soldier, I would never consider myself to be  gullible. The masters are very reassuring; promising to help you at a time when you are looking  for anything that will make you better.'

Nov. 19, 2012: Heartbroken Friends Say Goodbye to Tragic Soldier (Bournemouth Echo/Internet Archive)

QuoteImam Majid Yasin said a prayer in Arabic before Military Padre Gary Keith spoke as Naima's family, including brother Rachid and parents Ben and Saida, looked on. He said: "As we gather in this place today we do so to honour the life of a courageous and committed, very determined young army officer, Captain Naima Houder Mohamed. "We do so to give thanks for her full and her active life, to commend her to God's safe keeping."

He said Naima was "greatly loved, admired and respected" and was a "cherished and much valued member of the family home, of her community and of the British Army". Naima graduated from Sandhurst in 2009 and then served with 22 Engineer Regiment and 1 Royal Anglian.

Regimental Colonel Rob Davie said Naima became a qualified mountain leader in 2006, gaining advanced status in 2009. She ran expeditions in Kenya, Morocco and France. She undertook Nordic skiing and biathlon and did training exercises in Scotland and Poland. Naima had been set to go to Afghanistan but her illness prevented her from doing so.

Col Davie said: "Naima gathered a wealth of experience as an army officer during her relatively short career. "She readily sought out new challenges and tackled them with enthusiasm and a steely determination to succeed.

Jan. 23, 2013: Family of Deceased British Army Officer Calls for Investigation of "Cult" (Cult News)

QuoteNaima's grandfather Thomas Philips, a British man who was in the Navy said "I too would like to see an investigation.  Naima kept taking me to the clinic, convinced their massages would cure my arthritis and heart trouble. They encourage clients to bring relatives for treatments.  It wasn't magical or miraculous, just expensive massage,  and  Naima was very struck with them.  I suppose she was brainwashed, but it was hard to reach that conclusion there as the masters all seemed so genuine and kind.  Naima kept saying 'they are taking the badness out of me granddad, and you have to believe it.'" Mr Philips says Innersound were 'bleeding Naima dry' and she often asked him for loans to pay for her treatments.

Jan. 21, 2018: Girl About Town (The Daily Telegraph)

QuoteMeaningless noise emanating from Liam Gallagher's mouth? Who ever would have thought it!  The former Oasis frontman has been attending Korean 'Qi energy' chanting classes at the Jung Shim centre in Marylebone, London.  The 40-minute sessions involve 'repeating vibrational sounds that have no translatable meaning' but 'declutter the mind'.  Perhaps his classes led to Liam, 45, recently ending the long-term feud with brother Noel, 50.

Nov. 27, 2018: 'Extreme & Dangerous' Brainwashing, Abuse & Forced Child Labour – Inside America's Most Terrifying Cults Active Today (Teddy Hose via The Sun)

QuoteAnother former extreme group member Teddy Hose, who was born into the Unification or "Moonie" church, told how his brother shot and paralysed his mother in an accident he blamed on the group and the Moon family they followed. Teddy told how he grew up with Sean Moon, who (now) runs a gun-obsessed splinter group of the church called the Sanctuary Church, which encourages members to arm themselves with AR-15 rifles and devote themselves to the Moon family ahead of their own.

"The Moons were always into guns," he said. "Sean's older brother, Steve Moon, he loved guns and would often go hunting in the woods around our house, so I think my brother saw that. "I remember I was just doing my homework at my desk and my brother came in and said I got to tell you something: 'Mom was shot'.

"My mom was pruning some trees in the woods and my brother must have thought it was deer or something and he just took two shots in the dark.

"I didn't believe him and then I saw my younger brother behind him and he had tears in his eyes. I was like 'Oh my God'. She had two bullets in the stomach that reached her spine. She's paralysed from the waist down. "Just one shot changed everything, all because the local church boys thought guns were cool."

Teddy left the church with his family aged 22, after they realised how wealthy the Moon family were and how poor its members were.

"The Sanctuary Church (Splinter group led by Sean Moon) - it speaks the language of Christian values - but people need to know that this is not a Christian organisation," Teddy explained.

"They have someone who has guns who believes the world is trying to attack them. You're putting guns into kids' hands and giving them a religious reason to use them."

March 17, 2019: Growing Up "Moonie" (Teddy Hose for The Nib)

Feb. 8, 2022: Why I Left the Moonies (Teddy Hose on Facebook)

The above Facebook video is very heart-felt and touching. Teddy knew Young-jin Moon, the son who committed suicide at the age of 21, and it was Moon's reaction to his son's death that resulted in him leaving. I wasn't familiar with Teddy before I came across the above video, but he's been very active and vocal about sharing his experiences and educating about cults. Here are some more, the second video has a rather misleading title, there's very little talk of guns in the video. Instead, some very interesting accounts of growing up as a second generation member of the Moonies; plus, a little dig at the Moonie-owned Washington Times:




March 10 Facebook Post: refering to the article posted below:

QuoteIt was not easy to read this as someone who grew up in the Unification Church. Especially being a kid going to school in Irvington, NY where the Moons lived, and always afraid the locals might find out I was in "that cult," my only refuge besides home was seeing friends at their houses or church properties.

I just hope current members and their children can develop trust and find grace in people outside the UC, who may help provide or connect them to available resources as a means of survival, in this time of heavy withdrawal. I am speaking from experience with my family recognizing the UC's abuse over time, and eventually stepping away.

Those first few years were a lot of helpless outreach to the larger society we were conditioned to view as the "fallen world." We had to retrain our hardwired brains that it was safe out there—a reality those of us born into the UC may always live with as a work in progress. But it does get better over time

March 10: Ex-UC Branches closed, Followers Left Adrift (Asahi Shimbun)

March 10: Former member Teddy Hose on Facebook:

QuoteIt was not easy to read this as someone who grew up in the Unification Church. Especially being a kid going to school in Irvington, NY where the Moons lived, and always afraid the locals might find out I was in "that cult," my only refuge besides home was seeing friends at their houses or church properties.

I just hope current members and their children can develop trust and find grace in people outside the UC, who may help provide or connect them to available resources as a means of survival, in this time of heavy withdrawal. I am speaking from experience with my family recognizing the UC's abuse over time, and eventually stepping away.

Those first few years were a lot of helpless outreach to the larger society we were conditioned to view as the "fallen world." We had to retrain our hardwired brains that it was safe out there—a reality those of us born into the UC may always live with as a work in progress. But it does get better over time

March 10: Ex-UC Branches closed, Followers Left Adrift (Asahi Shimbun)

QuoteThe church executive said of the procedure: "It was like a seizure notice, and the shock was immense. I've been coming to this church for decades. I felt as if all my memories were being negated." ...

"The church suddenly became unusable, and it feels like a part of my life has disappeared," said a female follower in her 40s from the Shimonoseki church. "Gathering and talking with fellow believers is part of our religion, and we are truly struggling." Another female follower in her 60s said tearfully, "As time goes by, the sadness of not being able to see everyone grows."

The church's dormitories, which primarily house followers in their teens and 20s who have moved to Tokyo, have also been targeted in the liquidation. With several dozen such dormitories nationwide, some residents are reportedly being forced to find new housing. ...

Guidelines from the Agency for Cultural Affairs issued last autumn anticipate a lengthy compensation process. The agency suggests allowing limited use of church facilities to soften the impact on religious activities. Ito said any such use would be conditional on the church adhering to strict rules that do not interfere with the procedures.

The National Network of Lawyers Against Spiritual Sales, which handles cases of large-scale donations to the church, insists that the church's "illegal activities need to be prevented." The group is concerned because the church has designated another religious corporation, Tenchi Seikyo in Obihiro, Hokkaido, to receive its remaining property upon dissolution. The lawyers' network warns that if the assets are transferred, there is a risk that "illegal donation solicitation activities" will continue.

April 3: UC Followers Consider New Organization to Continue Practices (The Japan Times)

April 8: Ex-UC Members Plan New Entity for Donations (The Asahi Shimbun)

April 9: Dissolved But Not Gone: UC Reorganizes in Japan (Tokyo Weekender)

QuoteOn Wednesday, former executives of Japan's dissolved Unification Church reportedly established a new organization under the name Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU), led by former head Masaichi Hori....

In 2025, a district court in Tokyo ordered the church to disband after it was accused by the government of manipulating followers to make large donations. Last month, the Tokyo High Court upheld the decision, rejecting the organization's claim that the donations were part of legitimate religious activities. According to the presiding judge, Motoko Miki, the group caused financial losses in excess of ¥7.4 billion to 506 people.

"We are hearing our believers ask, 'I want to make donations, but what should I do?' We need a new organization to manage donations," a person affiliated with the church told The Asahi Shimbun. The comment suggests that continued demand from followers has driven the creation of a successor body despite legal setbacks. Journalist Eito Suzuki is concerned that "further harm could occur" as the organization collects donations. ...

March 6: Japan Court Dissolves UC; Korea Branch Could Face Financial Strain (The Korea Times)

March 10: Yun Young-ho Reveals Han's Reinstatement, Legal Support Offer (The Chosun Daily)

QuoteYun Young-ho, the former global head of the Unification Church, stated that he received proposals from the side of UC leader Han Hak-ja, including reinstatement into the church and support for legal fees, in exchange for favorable testimony. ...

Later, Yun stated that Han's defense team requested him to write a self-surrender statement. "They asked me to write a statement clarifying that there was no directive from Han," Yun said. When he did not respond, a second proposal followed.

According to Yun, Han's defense team proposed withdrawing the complaint against his spouse, former finance department head Lee, if he wrote the self-surrender statement. The Unification Church had filed a police complaint against Lee, accusing her of embezzling approximately 2 billion Korean won in church funds between 2021 and 2023.

March 13: UC Official Denies Delivering Funds to Lawmaker (The Chosun Daily)

March 14: Editorial - Has South Korea Become a Haven for Criminal Suspects? (The Chosun Daily)

March 17: Leading From The Shadows: The Increasing Influence of The Korean UC (Nathan Lee for International Relations Review)

March 19: Investigators Question Ex-Oceans Minister in UC-Linked Bribery Case (Yonhap News)

March 20: Democratic Party Lawmaker Chun Jae-soo Questioned 18 Hours Over UC Bribery (Chosun Daily)

March 23: UC Leader Han Denies Illegal Orders in Trial Clash with Yun (The Chosun Daily)

QuoteUnification Church leader Han Hak-ja, under suspicion of "collusion between religion and politics," engaged in a heated exchange with former global headquarters director Yun Young-ho during a trial.

Criminal Division 27 of the Seoul Central District Court (Judge Woo In-sung presiding) held a public hearing on the 20th for Han, former chief of staff Jeong Won-ju, Yun, and others, who face charges including violation of the Political Funds Act. During the trial, cross-examination of Yun took place.

Han's remarks emerged while Yun testified about securing congratulatory messages from figures such as U.S. President Donald Trump for church events. Han's defense attorney asked Yun, "Did you report to Han about the details of securing politicians?" Yun replied, "I reported because the amount needed to be decided." Han countered, "I was not informed" and "I don't remember, I can't do it." ...

Later, Yun testified about alleged illegal instructions, claiming Han ordered funds to be sent for lobbying in South America. Han pressed Yun, "Why bring up South America now?" This marked the first time Han directly reacted to Yun's testimony.

The above mention of securing Donald Trump's congratulatory message refers to this:

April 5, 2024: The UC Infiltrated Japan's Government. Now Its Sights Are Set on the US (Time Magazine)

QuoteTrump received around $2.5 million to make that and two other video appearances between 2021 and 2022, while former Vice President Mike Pence was paid $550,000 for speaking at a UPF event. In May, Trump sent another video message to a UPF event.

March 24: Chun Jae-soo's Acquaintance Repaired UC's Cartier Watch (The Chosun Daily)

March 28: UC Leader Han Hak-ja Secures Third Temporary Release (The Chosun Daily)

March 28: Democratic Party Includes Chun in Busan Primary Despite Probe (The Chosun Daily)

The concept of undue influence has been well established in British contract law for over 400 years. Presenting here courtasy of Jon Atack, a case from 1617, and the notorious Mrs. Death - apparently her real name. And well, if but a nickname, it would fit. And it is interesting that she essentially lovebombed her victim, a tactic cults use often in recruiting.

The Long History of Undue Influence: Mrs. Death & Her Victim Mr. Lydiatt (Open Minds Foundation - founded by Jon Atack -author and former Scientologist)

Related from the same site: The A to Z of Coercion.

Next, while this 2015 UK law targets coercive behavior in relationships and families, many/most of the types of activities that can lead to convictions under this law can be seen in cultic environments beyond immediate families or intimate relationships:

Dec. 9, 2015: Coercive or Controlling Behaviour Now a Crime (Gov. UK)

QuoteThe government's new coercive or controlling behaviour offence will mean victims who experience the type of behaviour that stops short of serious physical violence, but amounts to extreme psychological and emotional abuse, can bring their perpetrators to justice

The offence will carry a maximum of 5 years' imprisonment, a fine or both.

Minister for Preventing Abuse and Exploitation Karen Bradley said: "No one should live in fear of domestic abuse, which is why this government has made ending violence against women and girls a priority.

"Our new coercive or controlling behaviour offence will protect victims who would otherwise be subjected to sustained patterns of abuse that can lead to total control of their lives by the perpetrator.

Feb. 4, 2025: Coercive Control to be Treated Like Other Domestic Abuse Offences (BBC)

Feb. 7, 2025: Controlling or Coercive Behaviour in an Intimate or Family Relationship (Crown Prosecution Service)

QuoteBuilding on examples within the Statutory Guidance Framework, relevant behaviour of the suspect can include:

Isolating a person from their friends and family
Depriving them of their basic needs
Monitoring their time
Monitoring a person via online communication tools or using spyware

Using digital systems such as smart devices or social media to coerce, control, or upset the victim including posting triggering material

Taking control over aspects of their everyday life, such as where they can go, who they can see, what to wear and when they can sleep – this can be intertwined with the suspect saying it is in their best interests, and 'rewarding' 'good behaviour' e.g. with gifts

Depriving them of access to support services, such as specialist support or medical services
Repeatedly putting them down such as telling them they are worthless
Enforcing rules and activity which humiliate, degrade or dehumanise the victim
Forcing the victim to take part in criminal activity such as shoplifting, neglect or abuse of children to Encourage self-blame and prevent disclosure to authorities

Economic abuse including coerced debt, controlling spending/bank accounts/investments/mortgages/benefit payments
Controlling the ability to go to school or place of study
Taking wages, benefits or allowances
Threatening to hurt or kill
Threatening to harm a child
Threatening to reveal or publish private information
Threatening to hurt or physically harming a family pet
Assault
Physical intimidation e.g. blocking doors, clenching or shaking fists
Criminal damage (such as destruction of household goods)
Preventing a person from having access to transport or from working
Preventing a person from learning or using a language or making friends outside of their ethnic or cultural background
Family 'dishonour'
Reputational damage
Sexual assault or threats of sexual assault

Reproductive coercion, including restricting a victim's access to birth control, refusing to use a birth control method, forced pregnancy, forcing a victim to get an abortion, to undergo in vitro fertilisation (IVF) or other procedure, or denying access to such a procedure using substances such as alcohol or drugs to control a victim through dependency, or controlling their access to substances

Disclosure of sexual orientation
Disclosure of HIV status or other medical condition without consent

Limiting access to family, friends and finances
Withholding and/or destruction of the victim's immigration documents, e.g. passports and visas

Threatening to place the victim in an institution against the victim's will, e.g. care home, supported living facility, mental health facility, etc (particularly for disabled or elderly victims

This is not an exhaustive list and prosecutors should be aware that a suspect will often tailor the conduct to the victim, and this conduct can vary to a high degree from one person to the next. Prosecutors should consider the conduct of the suspect in each individual case to assess whether it discloses controlling or coercive behaviour.

Interesting but disturbing examples of those under coercive control being victims and being treated like criminals for actions they were coerced into committing. 

July 27, 2025: Survivors of Coercive Control are Being Criminalised in England, Research Finds (The Guardian)

QuoteA report from the Centre for Women's Justice (CWJ) drew on the experiences of seven women who were criminalised because of their abusive partners. They include a police officer who was convicted of misconduct in public office and lost her job after her controlling ex-boyfriend, also a police officer, coerced her into giving him her password into the police computer system, and a woman who was prosecuted for theft and fraud after her abusive and controlling partner used her bank account and phone number to sell stolen caravans.

Cara* was arrested alongside her abuser after police raided their house searching for drugs, and found a large amount of cannabis, which belonged to her then-partner. She left the relationship after the police raid, but was forced to come face-to-face with him in court.

"It's taken every ounce of strength that I had to actually leave him," she said. "And then a few months later, in the new year, I got a charge sheet through the post....

"And then I had gone and left and got a restraining order, and that counted for nothing. I was just so completely in shock, my stomach felt like it fell out of my body. ....

It was only at her third court hearing, at a crown court, where she was forced to sit beside her abuser in the dock, that the case against Cara was dropped. "It was so frightening, I was absolutely terrified," she said. "There was nothing between us, nothing to stop him from getting to me. "I had to just be really strong and sit there and look directly at the judge and just not move my gaze," she added. "And I could hear him at the side of me, making digs, saying, 'You'll have to get back with me, or we'll both go down together.'" ...

The Center for Women's Justice (CWJ) has made 11 recommendations for reform, including the introduction of an effective defence for victims of coercive control who are pressured into offending. It has also called for the introduction of a joint police and CPS protocol for gathering, passing on, and taking account of evidence of coercive control where someone suspected of an offence may also be a victim.

Duress and Undue Influence Lecture

March 6: 'Dangerous Precedent' for Religious Freedom: Critics Assail Tokyo Court's UC Ruling (The UC-Owned Washington Times)

QuoteReactions poured in from around the world in the hours after the ruling, which critics cast as an unprecedented legal step by the Japanese court. More important, they said, it could be the first domino to fall in an international crackdown on religious freedom.

"Unfortunately, this decision treads into territory that benefits opponents of a free society," former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement. "Having worked with Japan extensively on security and human rights matters ... I worry this precedent will harm Japan's standing as a champion of freedom in Asia and potentially advance the interests of those working against our mutual dedication to human dignity and religious freedom."

Related 1:
March 4, 2023: Trump, Pompeo Celebrate Group With UC Ties (The Asahi Shimbun)

QuoteFormer U.S. President Donald Trump sent a one-minute video message to an event in Seoul organized by a group related to the Unification Church. The Universal Peace Federation opened its "Peace Summit 2023" in the South Korean capital on May 2. The event will run until May 6. ... Mike Pompeo, who was secretary of state in the Trump administration, attended the event in person and gave a speech at the podium.

Related 2:
Oct. 26, 2023: UC-linked Group Paid Trump $2.5 mil. For Video Messages (The Mainichi Shimbun)

QuoteFormer U.S. President Donald Trump received some $2.5 million from the Universal Peace Federation (UPF), a Unification Church affiliated group, to make video appearances on three occasions between 2021 and 2022, while former Vice President Mike Pence was paid $550,000 for speaking at a UPF event, the Mainichi Shimbun has confirmed by acquiring U.S. official records and checking them with court documents in Japan.

Meanwhile, the UPF has maintained that the group didn't pay former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who made a video appearance at its event in September 2021. If this is true, we must question why Abe agreed to speak for the event free of charge. In the video, Abe said he "highly appreciated" the Unification Church, formally called the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, for its efforts to "place importance on the value of family." This video appearance is believed to have been one of the triggers for his assassination in July 2022.

March 7: Japan Accelerates UC Dissolution Process (Seoul Economic Daily)

QuoteThis marks Japan's third dissolution of a religious corporation under the Religious Corporations Act, following Aum Shinrikyo (1995), which carried out the Tokyo subway sarin gas attack, and Myokakuji (2002), which orchestrated a large-scale cash fraud scheme. Unlike the previous two cases involving criminal matters, the Unification Church is the first to have illegal conduct recognized under civil law.

However, the court's dissolution order does not mean the immediate and complete elimination of the organization. In Japan, dissolving a religious corporation strips its legal status and tax benefits, but activities as a voluntary organization remain possible. Given the church's accumulated financial resources through various businesses and organizational activities, some suggest it may continue operating under a different name or structure.

Growing negative public perception of the Unification Church throughout Japanese society is considered a variable. Public opinion has soured as the church's ties to political circles have been intensively exposed since the Abe incident. Experts project that even if the church continues activities in Japan under a different [/pre]form, its scale will likely diminish given the current atmosphere.

March 9: UC Files Special Appeal to Japan's Top Court on Dissolution (Kyodo News)

QuoteThe UC on Monday filed a special appeal with Japan's top court against a high court ruling ordering its dissolution. ...

This is the first case in Japan in which a religious group has been ordered to dissolve over violations of the Civil Code. It is the third dissolution order issued for violations of laws and regulations, following two cases based on criminal violations including that of the AUM Shinrikyo doomsday cult, which carried out the deadly 1995 nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway system.