Moonies pay out in carrot-juice fiasco

Mainichi Daily News, April 25, 2000
By Mainichi Shimbun

The controversial Unification Church religious group was ordered Monday to pay hefty damages by the courts for luring a wealthy elderly woman to buy expensive items, including bottles of carrot juice, saying that a miserable fate awaited her if she did not.

Presiding Judge Kenichi Takada awarded 75 million yen compensation to the 76-year-old woman, whose name is being withheld, at the Tokyo District Court.

Takada said that the Moonies, named after their guru Sun Myung Moon, illegally lured the woman into purchasing the juice and other lucky charms after studying her financial situation in detail.

"She was told she would meet misfortune if she didn't buy the items from them. That kind of action has been deemed illegal in this society," the judge said.