Former Anti-Flag members respond to Justin Sane sexual assault allegations

Former Anti-Flag members have spoken out about the sexual abuse allegations made against frontman Justin Sane, who has been accused of abuse by 13 women.

The accused’s ex-bandmates, drummer Pat Thetic, guitarist Chris Head, and bassist Chris Barker , told Rolling Stone, “We trusted everyone associated with the band to maintain a safe and respectful environment.”

"The understanding that abusers can be anywhere further reinforces the importance of survivors speaking out and sharing their stories.… Further, we feel strongly that all predators must atone for their inappropriate actions and be held accountable.”

Earlier this week Rolling Stone released an exposè on Sane. It featured accounts from 12 women which describe his allegedly predatory behaviour. One of the women, who is now 44 years old, claimed that Justin Sane statutorily raped her in 1990 when he was 17 years old and she was 12.

Other women alleged that Justin Sane used his age and status to take advantage of them as younger fans.

There needs to be wide, societal change and I genuinely hope the Anti-Flag/Justin Sane situation is a catalyst for that.
The silence from most people on the scene has been so painful even when we begged them to speak up for us. We need you to be active allies.

— Hannah (@hannee92) September 7, 2023

Another woman filed a police report in the United Kingdom. The Rolling Stone article mentions that the alleged assault occurred in 2020, and police recently declined to move forward with the case because, police claim, the woman never told Justin Sane “no”.

The band addressed Sane directly in a letter emailed to Pitchfork.

“To Justin, we believe you are very sick and in need of serious professional help. We want to have compassion and have faith in restorative justice, but fuck you for hurting so many people, not just the ones who have bravely come forward, but anyone still carrying their pain internally,” it said.

“Fuck you for exploiting the work of the band and the many people associated with it for so long. As many predators do, it appears you used our beliefs as a cover for egregious activities that you clearly knew we would never condone.”

If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault, rape or abuse, we encourage you to seek support- The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre runs a national 24-Hour Helpline which can be contacted on 1800 77 8888.