Accusations have been made against Jermaine Jackson for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman in the spring of 1988.
According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE, Rita Butler Barrett filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles on Wednesday, claiming that the 69-year-old Jackson is responsible for sexual abuse, assault, battery, negligence, and rape.
The lawsuit has included Jermaine L. Jackson Music Productions, Inc. and Work Records, Inc. as co-defendants.
In the lawsuit, Barrett claims that she knew Jackson for a long time prior to the assault due to “professional and personal connections.”
According to the documents, her husband, Ben Barrett, closely worked with Berry Gordy, who was “in a business and/or management relationship” with Jackson at the time of the assault.
Around spring of 1988, Jackson allegedly arrived unannounced at Barrett’s home and sexually assaulted her using “force and violence.” He reportedly left after he was “satisfied.”
“During the assault, Plaintiff, a woman of faith prayed to God for help. During the assault, Plaintiff feared for her life,” the lawsuit reads.
The next day, Barrett claims she reported the assault to Gordy, who allegedly “withheld and concealed the acts.” She contends that this allowed Gordy, Jackson, and “others in the business relationship” to profit from Jackson’s work “for years to come.”
She further claims there was a cover-up to “prevent disclosure of information relating to the abuse for the purpose of profit and preservation of reputation.”
The lawsuit states that Barrett has “suffered severe emotional, physical, and psychological injury, including humiliation, shame, guilt, economic loss, economic capacity, and permanent emotional distress” since the assault.
According to Barrett’s lawyer, Jeff Anderson, his client “suffered an egregious and violent sexual assault.”
He said, “This is about her power and the declaration of it when she learned something could be done under the law, and she found the strength and support to find us and is now standing up for herself and others.”
