Long-running punk outfit Anti-Flag broke up in July with little to-do, posting a brief memo to their Patreon page to let backers know that they had disbanded. The same day, a woman named Kristina Sarhadi appeared on the enough. podcast — a program dedicated to sexual assault in the music industry — recounting being raped by the unnamed singer of a political punk band 10 years ago.
The band confirmed a week later that the allegations were indeed the reason for their sudden disbandment, although singer Justin Sane (born Justin Geever) denied the "categorically false" accusations: "I have never engaged in a sexual relationship that was not consensual, nor have I ever been approached by a woman after a sexual encounter and been told I had in any way acted without her consent or violated her in any way."
In a gut-wrenching new report from Rolling Stone, Sarhadi has confirmed that she was, in fact, talking about Sane on the podcast — and 12 more women have come forward with similar allegations against the singer.
The following article contains potentially triggering material relating to sexual misconduct. If you believe you have experienced or witnessed sexual misconduct and are looking for support, consult the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime to find resources in your area.
The alleged incidents date back as far as the '90s, up to as recently as 2020. Accusers described a pattern in Sane's reported predatory approach: he would make eye contact with them during a concert, then approach them after the show. In the accounts given to Rolling Stone, the women claimed to be much younger than the musician; some were teenagers, and one was allegedly even 12 years old. (At the time of that reported case, Sane was a teenager. He's now 50.)
Sarhadi and the other women said they felt manipulated by Sane's persona and the left-wing, feminist beliefs he consistently sings about. Some of the allegedly nonconsensual sexual acts were reportedly violent, with one woman filing a complaint in the UK in 2020 that claimed the singer had handcuffed and assaulted her. According to the accuser, the police decided not to prosecute.
Further, several of the alleged victims accused Sane's Anti-Flag bandmates of complacency. "They knew how young everybody was," an accuser named Rebecca, who dated 25-year-old Sane when she was 17 in the late '90s, told Rolling Stone. "There was a clear boundary that he kept crossing over and over that should have raised flags for everybody."
The other members of the band told the publication that their trust has "wholly been broken," adding, "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." Sane himself did not respond to inquiries for comment.
The band confirmed a week later that the allegations were indeed the reason for their sudden disbandment, although singer Justin Sane (born Justin Geever) denied the "categorically false" accusations: "I have never engaged in a sexual relationship that was not consensual, nor have I ever been approached by a woman after a sexual encounter and been told I had in any way acted without her consent or violated her in any way."
In a gut-wrenching new report from Rolling Stone, Sarhadi has confirmed that she was, in fact, talking about Sane on the podcast — and 12 more women have come forward with similar allegations against the singer.
The following article contains potentially triggering material relating to sexual misconduct. If you believe you have experienced or witnessed sexual misconduct and are looking for support, consult the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime to find resources in your area.
The alleged incidents date back as far as the '90s, up to as recently as 2020. Accusers described a pattern in Sane's reported predatory approach: he would make eye contact with them during a concert, then approach them after the show. In the accounts given to Rolling Stone, the women claimed to be much younger than the musician; some were teenagers, and one was allegedly even 12 years old. (At the time of that reported case, Sane was a teenager. He's now 50.)
Sarhadi and the other women said they felt manipulated by Sane's persona and the left-wing, feminist beliefs he consistently sings about. Some of the allegedly nonconsensual sexual acts were reportedly violent, with one woman filing a complaint in the UK in 2020 that claimed the singer had handcuffed and assaulted her. According to the accuser, the police decided not to prosecute.
Further, several of the alleged victims accused Sane's Anti-Flag bandmates of complacency. "They knew how young everybody was," an accuser named Rebecca, who dated 25-year-old Sane when she was 17 in the late '90s, told Rolling Stone. "There was a clear boundary that he kept crossing over and over that should have raised flags for everybody."
The other members of the band told the publication that their trust has "wholly been broken," adding, "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." Sane himself did not respond to inquiries for comment.
