In a statement issued later (see "not guilty" above) he apologizes for his behavior and cited counseling from his mother, pastor and friends.
There are multiple problems with this statement. How can a mother give her child the counseling therapy that he needs? The second issue is that most pastors do not have the training to effectively counsel batterers. Hopefully, his pastor has the training but that doesn't alter the fact that Chris Brown needs a battering intervention program. That's the one thing that I have not seen so far.
When it comes to abuse it's not enough to admit your mistakes and ask for forgiveness. This is a normal part of the cycle of domestic violence. Abusers will do or say anything to manipulate a family or the world into doing what is important for the abuser at the moment. Victims who have been battered will tell you that a tearful forgiveness please doesn't guarantee that a future assault won't happen.
Actions speak louder than words. It's only been a year since the assault. Chris Brown is under enormous pressure to stay cool because of his career. Time will tell if it's pressure that keeps him from acting out or if he's truly trying to rebuild his life.
Is it enough that Chris Brown is asking his fans to resurrect his career? We'll see. Right now I'm not buying what he's selling. From his plea, it looks like only a few others are too.
