Earlier this week, 12 more women came forward with sexual assault allegations against former Anti-Flag singer Justin Sane. He was previously rumoured to be the perpetrator in a rape that allegedly happened 10 years ago, which Kristina Sarhadi recounted on a podcast about abuse in the music industry on the same day in July that the band announced their breakup.
Although some of the accusers claimed that the rest of the band were complacent — and thus complicit — in Sane's alleged crimes, guitarist Chris Head, drummer Pat Thetic and bassist Chris "#2" Barker were quick to voice their support for their former bandmate being held accountable. In the disturbing Rolling Stone report, they expressed that their trust had been "wholly broken" and commended the accusers for coming forward.
Now, Head, Thetic and Barker have expressed further thoughts on the matter in a lengthy statement.
"In light of the recent article in Rolling Stone magazine, to Kristina, Jenn, Molly, Rebecca, Suzanne, Mat, Susie, Stefanie, Karina, Ella, Elizabeth, Hannah, and Tali, we would like to say thank you for your courage in sharing the pain you have experienced," they wrote. "And, to others who may yet come forward, while you don't owe anyone your story, please know that you are not alone and that we believe you."
Then, the musicians addressed their former bandmate directly — and didn't mince words.
"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," they wrote. "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."
The musicians continued on, expressing their betrayal at Sane's hand, especially for Barker, who the singer knew had a history of trauma related to sexual abuse. They also detailed how the band dissolved after Sane initially denied that he knew Sarhadi when the band was tipped off about the podcast episode before it aired, as well as their decision to effectively remove Anti-Flag's internet presence as soon as they heard her story and realized their bandmate had lied.
You can read Head, Thetic and Barker's statement in full below.
In light of the recent article in Rolling Stone magazine, to Kristina, Jenn, Molly, Rebecca, Suzanne, Mat, Susie, Stefanie, Karina, Ella, Elizabeth, Hannah, and Tali, we would like to say thank you for your courage in sharing the pain you have experienced. And, to others who may yet come forward, while you don't owe anyone your story, please know that you are not alone and that we believe you.
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. 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.
To everyone, we collectively and individually still have far more questions than answers in this moment. We have been learning of and processing all of this information in real-time. We trusted Justin greatly and are now learning that we were deceived, lied to, and kept in the dark for the entirety of our association. For Chris Barker, personally, Justin knew his history with trauma: his father has been convicted of sexual abuse of children and is currently incarcerated, his sister was a victim of abuse, and Chris himself was sexually abused by an older child in their neighbourhood. We share this to demonstrate that Justin was acutely aware of the visceral reaction we would have to such destructive behaviour. But also because sharing a stage for so long with someone you later learn is an accused predator has been incredibly painful to process and come to terms with. Two things can be true: a person can be kind and selfless in one space and a monster in another.
Around 10:30 p.m. on July 18th, we were alerted that a podcast would be released the next morning detailing a sexual assault involving Justin. We forwarded a message to him that previewed the episode and contained a photo and name. Justin responded that he did not know this person. The next morning, when the three of us heard Kristina's story, it became apparent to us that he was lying. To be true to the values we embraced for decades, we quit the band immediately and without hesitation. The three of us removed the band's internet presence in an attempt to limit spaces for people to attack, antagonize, or harm Kristina as we tried to get a grasp on this shocking information.
As more details have been shared since the release of the podcast, we have been waiting for Justin to do the right thing. Given his lack of contrition in any meaningful way, it is very clear that he is absolutely not the person we were led to believe him to be.
We are unsure where our path will lead us. Right now, words feel hollow and no statement can alleviate the suffering that has been caused. We have a great deal to learn about ourselves — with much soul-searching and introspection ahead. There will have to be a lot of therapy and devotion of time and resources to places that are equipped to help with these kinds of traumas. The three of us are still in shock and grieving, but mostly our hearts are broken for every victim. We are deeply saddened by every one of your painful stories, and will forever be grateful for your courage in sharing them.
Love, healing, and justice to all survivors.
Pat, Chris, and Chris
If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual abuse, here are some organizations that are dedicated to providing assistance.
• RAINN | The nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization
• National Sexual Abuse Hotline: 800.656.4673
• Center For Victims – Center For Victims
• Pittsburgh Action Against Rape: Home Page - PAAR
Although some of the accusers claimed that the rest of the band were complacent — and thus complicit — in Sane's alleged crimes, guitarist Chris Head, drummer Pat Thetic and bassist Chris "#2" Barker were quick to voice their support for their former bandmate being held accountable. In the disturbing Rolling Stone report, they expressed that their trust had been "wholly broken" and commended the accusers for coming forward.
Now, Head, Thetic and Barker have expressed further thoughts on the matter in a lengthy statement.
"In light of the recent article in Rolling Stone magazine, to Kristina, Jenn, Molly, Rebecca, Suzanne, Mat, Susie, Stefanie, Karina, Ella, Elizabeth, Hannah, and Tali, we would like to say thank you for your courage in sharing the pain you have experienced," they wrote. "And, to others who may yet come forward, while you don't owe anyone your story, please know that you are not alone and that we believe you."
Then, the musicians addressed their former bandmate directly — and didn't mince words.
"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," they wrote. "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."
The musicians continued on, expressing their betrayal at Sane's hand, especially for Barker, who the singer knew had a history of trauma related to sexual abuse. They also detailed how the band dissolved after Sane initially denied that he knew Sarhadi when the band was tipped off about the podcast episode before it aired, as well as their decision to effectively remove Anti-Flag's internet presence as soon as they heard her story and realized their bandmate had lied.
You can read Head, Thetic and Barker's statement in full below.
In light of the recent article in Rolling Stone magazine, to Kristina, Jenn, Molly, Rebecca, Suzanne, Mat, Susie, Stefanie, Karina, Ella, Elizabeth, Hannah, and Tali, we would like to say thank you for your courage in sharing the pain you have experienced. And, to others who may yet come forward, while you don't owe anyone your story, please know that you are not alone and that we believe you.
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. 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.
To everyone, we collectively and individually still have far more questions than answers in this moment. We have been learning of and processing all of this information in real-time. We trusted Justin greatly and are now learning that we were deceived, lied to, and kept in the dark for the entirety of our association. For Chris Barker, personally, Justin knew his history with trauma: his father has been convicted of sexual abuse of children and is currently incarcerated, his sister was a victim of abuse, and Chris himself was sexually abused by an older child in their neighbourhood. We share this to demonstrate that Justin was acutely aware of the visceral reaction we would have to such destructive behaviour. But also because sharing a stage for so long with someone you later learn is an accused predator has been incredibly painful to process and come to terms with. Two things can be true: a person can be kind and selfless in one space and a monster in another.
Around 10:30 p.m. on July 18th, we were alerted that a podcast would be released the next morning detailing a sexual assault involving Justin. We forwarded a message to him that previewed the episode and contained a photo and name. Justin responded that he did not know this person. The next morning, when the three of us heard Kristina's story, it became apparent to us that he was lying. To be true to the values we embraced for decades, we quit the band immediately and without hesitation. The three of us removed the band's internet presence in an attempt to limit spaces for people to attack, antagonize, or harm Kristina as we tried to get a grasp on this shocking information.
As more details have been shared since the release of the podcast, we have been waiting for Justin to do the right thing. Given his lack of contrition in any meaningful way, it is very clear that he is absolutely not the person we were led to believe him to be.
We are unsure where our path will lead us. Right now, words feel hollow and no statement can alleviate the suffering that has been caused. We have a great deal to learn about ourselves — with much soul-searching and introspection ahead. There will have to be a lot of therapy and devotion of time and resources to places that are equipped to help with these kinds of traumas. The three of us are still in shock and grieving, but mostly our hearts are broken for every victim. We are deeply saddened by every one of your painful stories, and will forever be grateful for your courage in sharing them.
Love, healing, and justice to all survivors.
Pat, Chris, and Chris
If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual abuse, here are some organizations that are dedicated to providing assistance.
• RAINN | The nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization
• National Sexual Abuse Hotline: 800.656.4673
• Center For Victims – Center For Victims
• Pittsburgh Action Against Rape: Home Page - PAAR
