My name is Lusiana Lukman. Boris Berlin sexually abused me during my piano lessons in the 1980s starting when I was 15 years old, at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Canada. 

I publicly shared my experience in a February 7, 2026 Toronto Star article and in Lara St. John’s documentary Dear Lara. While I was a student, I reported this abuse with a friend to the then Director of Academic Studies, Peter Simon. When contacted by the Toronto Star, he said he “did not remember the meeting and the incident” but that he would have treated such allegations seriously. Despite this, Berlin continued teaching until his retirement 11 years later. 

Since that time, I have spoken to others who were also sexually abused by Boris Berlin.

We are concerned that the Royal Conservatory has failed to protect the students under their care, prioritizing the reputation of the conservatory over the safety and wellbeing of their students.

Since going public about my abuse by Boris Berlin, I have not personally heard from any representative of the Royal Conservatory.

We, the undersigned, demand:

-That the Royal Conservatory hire an external law firm to conduct a comprehensive and transparent investigation into these allegations and the actions taken by the Royal Conservatory leadership to address them. The aim is not just to hold those responsible to account, but to ensure that robust safeguarding measures are established to prevent such horrific abuse from recurring, ensuring the safety of current and future students.

We cannot allow institutions to hide behind their legacy and traditions while those who suffered at their hands continue to bear this burden alone. 

Your signature is a powerful step toward change and ensuring that such failures are never repeated. Please sign this petition to stand with me and other survivors.

Thank you,

Lusiana Lukman

UPDATE  1: more articles following up my article in the Toronto Star 2026-04-28:

Deborah Dundas' article on the front page!

Margaret Halliwell's abuse by Boris Berlin article (2026-04-29)

"These are not things children should have to deal with" - amplifying stories about sexual abuse saves lives (2026-04-11)

RCM launches investigation into sex abuse allegations against famed teacher (2026-05-02)

Jonathan Biss' articles:

Jonathan Biss - Why I joined, then quit, the Royal Conservatory of Music (2026-04-29)

Jonathan Biss' article in the violin channel (2026-05-01)

UPDATE 2:

I know that the RCM has put out a Press Release on May 1st, after the 2nd and 3rd articles came out of the Toronto Star, above: 

https://www.rcmusic.com/about-us/news/rcm-announces-independent-third-party-investigation

However, if you read closely the body of the Press Release, in my opinion, the RCM has not actually initiated the third-party investigation, as they are waiting for other things to happen, as per their Press Release:

"The RCM has completed an internal review, and subsequent work will involve an examination of additional historical records. This includes ongoing engagement with the University of Toronto, which owned and operated the RCM prior to 1991. Once completed, the RCM, based on the unanimous resolution of its Board of Directors, will launch an independent, external investigation."

So to everyone reading this, as far as this petition goes, we must persist until the RCM actually launches the independent external investigation and transparently discloses its findings to public.