Berlin state prosecutors have launched an investigation into sexual assault allegations against the lead singer of the German metal band Rammstein, Till Lindemann.
The prosecutors confirmed to German media that the investigation was based on the initial suspicion of sexual abuse as well as drug-related activity. The announcement follows allegations made by a number of women that they were picked out to have sex with Lindemann at concerts.
Shelby Lynn from Northern Ireland, who attended a Rammstein concert in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, told the BBC she suspected her drink had been spiked and that she had been “groomed for sex” with Lindemann. She has said she did not have sex with the frontman.
Lindemann, 60, has repeatedly denied the allegations through his lawyers, saying they were “without exception untrue”.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Berlin public prosecution’s office said it had initiated preliminary proceedings against Lindemann “over allegations relating to sexual offences and the distribution of drugs”.
Universal Music, which represents Rammstein’s recorded music and publishing business, said on Thursday that it had suspended marketing and promotional activities for the band. “The accusations against Till Lindemann have shocked us and we have the greatest respect for the women who have spoken out so courageously in public in this case,” the label said in a statement.
Lynn, who was the first woman to make allegations against Lindemann, welcomed the investigation. “I’m very happy that our voices are finally being heard and being taken seriously,” she told the newspaper Die Welt. She added that after Lithuanian police decided not to pursue the complaint and the denials made by Lindemann’s lawyers, the decision of Berlin authorities to go ahead with an investigation “means a lot to those of us affected by this”.
Lynn had contacted the Lithuanian police after a recent Rammstein concert there, and allegedthere had been a row backstage involving her and the singer, after she had rejected his attempts to have sex with her and he had reacted angrily. She also reported having gaps in her memory, and finding bruises on her body after the encounter. “I am almost 100% certain that I was given drugs because I have never felt like I did,” she said.
On Wednesday, Lynn said she had appealed to Lithuanian police to rethink their decision not to pursue an investigation.
In reaction to the allegations, Berlin authorities have announced that aftershow parties at three Rammstein concerts to take place in the German capital from mid-July are to be forbidden. Tickets to the concerts at the Olympic stadium, costing between €82.5o (£70.68) and €12,980 for a seat in a VIP lounge, have sold out.
There are so far no plans to cancel the concerts, according to authorities.
Iris Spranger, Berlin’s senator for the interior, said she would take an uncompromising stance over the running of the concerts. “In Berlin in the areas for which I am responsible, there will be no Rammstein band aftershow parties.
“The accusations are so serious that I have no choice but to give the protection and safety of women absolute priority.”
Bahar Haghanipour, the women and equality spokesperson for the Green faction in the Berlin state parliament, appealed to the Berlin senate to ensure future concerts were governed by tighter safety rules in order to prevent attacks on women and other marginalised groups, calling the current security frameworks for such events “still far too lax”.
Music industry workers have also come forward in recent days, reporting that the incidents alleged to have taken place at Rammstein concerts were well known. One technical outfitter who works on Rammstein concerts said the room under the stage was even nicknamed the “suck room” by backstage crews.
Aeneas Hohenadl, manager of the performance technician company Riggerwerk, told Die Welt the goings on behind the stage at Rammstein concerts were “an open secret”. He said that included the alleged deliberate placing of women in “row zero” – directly in front of the stage – so they could later be recruited during shows as potential sex partners for Lindemann.
Hohenadl, whose firm has worked indirectly with Rammstein at the Rock am Ring festival, has said he is no longer prepared to work with the band.
He also criticised the lack of response to the allegations from the music industry itself, saying it was not acceptable for the branch to remain silent or neutral about the “revelations”.
