Twelve women have come forward with allegations of sexual assault, statutory rape, grooming, and other forms of misconduct against Justin Sane, the former vocalist and guitarist of the punk rock band Anti-Flag. The allegations, which date back to the 1990s, involve women who were as young as 12 years old at the time.
In a recent article published by Rolling Stone, one woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said that Sane raped her in 1996 when she was 16 years old. She said that she met him at an Anti-Flag show and that he invited her back to his hotel room. She said that he gave her alcohol and then raped her.
Another woman, who also asked to remain anonymous, said that Sane groomed her when she was 15 years old. He would allegedly send her inappropriate text messages and would allegedly touch her inappropriately when they were together.
The allegations against Sane come after Anti-Flag announced their breakup in July 2023. The band cited "internal differences" as the reason for their split. Sane has not commented on the newly-published allegations since they were first made public but his lawyer has denied all of the allegations, calling them "baseless" and "defamatory."
The allegations against Sane have shaken the punk rock community. Anti-Flag was one of the most popular and influential punk bands of the past two decades. Their music often dealt with social and political issues, such as war, poverty, and government corruption.
The allegations against Sane have also raised questions about the music industry's handling of sexual misconduct claims. Many women have come forward in recent years to accuse musicians of sexual assault and harassment. However, these allegations have often been met with silence or denial from the music industry.
These allegations are also a reminder that sexual misconduct is a serious problem in the music industry. It is important to listen to the voices of survivors and to hold those who have committed sexual misconduct accountable.
