Anti-Flag frontman accused of rape, sexual assault
Anti-Flag frontman Justin Sane has been accused of rape and sexual assault by thirteen women.
Allegations against Sane (real name Justin Geever) surfaced in July when a woman claimed on a podcast that she had been raped by a punk singer, who was later confirmed to be the frontman.
Anti-Flag subsequently disbanded but Sane later released a statement in which he called the allegations “categorically false”.
His former bandmates released a separate statement regarding the split and allegations that read: “A core tenet of the band Anti-Flag is to listen to and believe all survivors of sexual violence and abuse. The recent allegations about Justin are in direct contradiction to that tenet. Therefore, we felt the only immediate option was to disband.”
They added that they had “never seen Justin be violent or aggressive toward women” in the 30 years of the band’s lifetime.
“here was a clear boundary that he kept crossing over and over that should have raised flags for everybody”
In a new report, published yesterday (5 September) on Rolling Stone, a further 12 women shared accounts that accuse Sane of predatory behaviour, sexual assault, and statutory rape – including sexual relations with a 12-year-old when Geever was a teenager.
Their accounts, which date from the 1990s to 2020, follow a similar pattern – Sane would allegedly make eye contact with them while performing and then approach them after the show.
Some of the women allege that their encounters with Sane were violent and non-consensual. One of them is said to have reported an incident to the police, claiming Sane had handcuffed and assaulted her, in the UK in 2020. The woman involved said police had decided not to prosecute.
Multiple women involved in the article accused Sane’s bandmates of complacency. “They knew how young everybody was. There was a clear boundary that he kept crossing over and over that should have raised flags for everybody,” one of them said.
In a statement to Rolling Stone, the other Anti-Flag members said: “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.”
Sane did not respond to Rolling Stone’s requests for comment.
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