Saitama, Japan - The 17-year-old daughter of AUM Shinrikyo cult founder Shoko Asahara has asked a local court to appoint freelance journalist Shoko Egawa as a guardian for her.
Asahara's fourth daughter has filed a petition with the Kumagaya branch of the Saitama District Court, Hiroshi Watanabe, a lawyer for her, told a news conference. She has dismissed Takeshi Matsumoto, who also serves as a defense lawyer for Asahara, as a guardian for her.
"I wanted to be independent of my family who lives on donations extended by followers, and sever ties with the cult, but my family and Mr. Matsumoto opposed that," her new lawyer quoted her as saying.
The girl had lived with her parents and sisters as well as cult followers, but repeatedly escaped from her home since 2002. She subsequently learned on the Internet about a series of crimes committed by the cult, lawyer Watanabe told the news conference.
The daughter thought it was wrong for her and her family to live on donations from cult followers, and sent an e-mail to Egawa asking the journalist to be a guardian for her.
Egawa said she agreed to support the girl's self-reliance in a bid to rid society of the cult's influence.
Asahara, 51, whose real name is Chizuo Matsumoto, has appealed a high court decision to dismiss his appeal against a death sentence handed down on him by a lower court for masterminding a series of crimes, including subway gassing in March 1995 that left 12 people dead.