A team of lawyers says it will extensively investigate practices of the Jehovah's Witnesses religious group such as whipping that could amount to child abuse.

The team held a news conference in Tokyo on Tuesday. It provides legal and medical support to former members of the group as well as children of members.

The team says it has interviewed many former members and children of members, and that more than 70 of them said they had been whipped by their parents during childhood.

Other testimony includes that about being forced by parents to persuade others to join the religious group and parents' limiting school activities, education, job opportunities and others.

Some said their parents told them to sever their family ties until they regained their faith in the group after leaving it.

The team says it will provide information it gained to government or administrative officials if needed.

One of the team lawyers, Tanaka Kotaro, said the problems related to the matter vary widely and are all serious. He said the group is first working to collect information to grasp facts and make them public.

Jehovah's Witnesses says its parent members want the best for their children. It adds that discipline is partly meant to correct children's behavior but should be imposed in ways that make children feel their parents' love and agree with them.