Yasmine Kittles, of electronic LA duo Tearist, has officially filed criminal charges for sexual battery against Heathcliff Berru, the founder of Life Or Death PR. This follows multiple instances in which Berru was publicly accused of assault earlier this year.
Kittles has accused Berru of assaulting her at her L.A. home in May 2011 and again in New York later that year. According to Stereogum, she made the announcement in Facebook post that she was filing formal charges against Berru and included a news report from TV station CBS Los Angeles that shows her entering the police department to make the claims. “After seeing how many women came forward after us I knew I had to do something more than just comment about it,” Kittles states in the post. “He has to be stopped and others like him have to know that women will report them. We have to stop the cycle. It will not be easy, and it’s scary as hell. But we have the power to change things… if we want to. Thank you for your words of support and strength.” Read the full statement here.
Multiple women came forward earlier this year to publicly accuse Berru of sexual assault, including Amber Coffman of Dirty Projectors and Danger Village publicist Beth Martinez. However, these accusations were primarily via Twitter and Kittles is the first of these women to go to the police. From her Facebook post, it seems she is trying to encourage others to speak up about abuse and keep these horrific incidents from occurring, particularly within the music industry. While Berru issued statement regarding his actions, the incident gained wide media scrutiny and ultimately caused him to step down from Life or Death PR.
Kittles also addressed Berru’s initial statement after these accusations came to the surface, in which he admitting to be suffering from substance abuse and addiction issues and claimed he would be getting help. While she has sympathy, she refuses to let these issues excuse his behavior. “What Mr. Berru does not say in his statements is that his actions were also illegal,” her attorney Michael Bressler said in the CBS report. “While we believe that anyone struggling with substance abuse should seek immediate professional assistance, it is never — and I quote, never — an excuse for sexually assaulting women.”
Kittles is showing a great amount of strength, bravery and leadership by filing charges against Berru, and this comes as no surprise. As half of the experimental LA duo Tearist, she is equally as fearless when it comes to her music. While the group has released several highly-praised albums, their 2011 record Living: 2009-Present really caught people’s attention. The album received great critical acclaim, particularly for the fact that not many groups choose to release a full-length live album. Rolling Stone said that Tearist was about “pushing people out of their comfort zone to the point where they question their own existence.” This could not be more accurate, and we can only hope that Kittles gets the justice she deserves.
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