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South Korean megachurch pastor sentenced to 15 years for raping women 'on God's orders'
Source: Washington Post
South Korean megachurch pastor sentenced to 15 years for raping women ‘on God’s orders’
By Simon Denyer November 22 at 9:52 AM
TOKYO — The leader of a South Korean megachurch, Jaerock Lee, was sentenced to 15 years in prison Thursday for raping eight female followers after telling them he was carrying out “an order from God.”
Lee is the head of the Manmin Central Church, which claims to have 133,000 followers, and 10,000 branches and associate churches worldwide.
He was ejected from the Christian Council of Korea in 1999 for his “heretical” beliefs and branded a “cult leader” by the Korean Ministry Association after claiming he was without sin and exempt from dying.
“The victims, who attended the church since childhood, believed that obeying Lee as a godlike figure is the path to heaven,” the court said in its verdict. “Apparently the victims were psychologically positioned to be powerless to disobey Lee, and Lee took advantage of their status to commit the crime.”
-snip-
By Simon Denyer November 22 at 9:52 AM
TOKYO — The leader of a South Korean megachurch, Jaerock Lee, was sentenced to 15 years in prison Thursday for raping eight female followers after telling them he was carrying out “an order from God.”
Lee is the head of the Manmin Central Church, which claims to have 133,000 followers, and 10,000 branches and associate churches worldwide.
He was ejected from the Christian Council of Korea in 1999 for his “heretical” beliefs and branded a “cult leader” by the Korean Ministry Association after claiming he was without sin and exempt from dying.
“The victims, who attended the church since childhood, believed that obeying Lee as a godlike figure is the path to heaven,” the court said in its verdict. “Apparently the victims were psychologically positioned to be powerless to disobey Lee, and Lee took advantage of their status to commit the crime.”
-snip-
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/south-korea-megachurch-pastor-gets-15-years-in-jail-for-raping-women-on-gods-orders/2018/11/21/8e73439c-ee04-11e8-9236-bb94154151d2_story.html
South Korean pastor Jaerock Lee arrives at Seoul Central District Court on Thursday for his trial. He was convicted of raping eight female followers and sentenced to 15 years in prison. (AFP)