Thirty-one adoptions took place among followers of the Unification Church after it became mandatory for adoption mediation agencies to obtain approval in April 2018, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.
The group, officially known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, denies any involvement in arranging the adoptions, stressing that the cases were agreed upon among its followers, according to sources.
The group's claim was part of a response sent Friday to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry. The ministry is conducting an investigation into the group, which has not been authorized to mediate adoptions.
