WOMEN REPORT
New accusations against Rammstein lead singer
The abuse allegations against the frontman of the German band Rammstein, Till Lindemann, are expanding. After an Irish woman had already reported being drugged on the sidelines of a Rammstein concert - the band denied - media reported on Friday how women were allegedly recruited to have sex with Lindemann. Because of another case, a publisher already drew consequences.
Online since today, 1:36 p.m. (Update: 5:53 p.m.)
According to reports from NDR and "Süddeutsche Zeitung", several people from the Rammstein frontman's entourage were specifically approached to come to after-show parties organized especially for Lindemann. Often this had happened via Instagram or at the concerts themselves. According to Tagesschau.de, for example, the women had to send photos of themselves in advance, or photos and videos were taken. The women had to dress attractively, friends were not allowed.
One woman reported that it had been clearly communicated to her that access to the concert and after-show party was only available if she was interested in having sexual intercourse with Lindemann. Two women told the media that they had been sexually assaulted. In addition, they had been offered drugs. The management of Rammstein had not commented on the new allegations to the "Süddeutsche Zeitung". A letter from Lindemann's lawyer is available, but it is not allowed to quote from it.
Irishwoman got the accusations rolling
Since the Whitsun weekend, accusations against the band have been circulating. An Irish woman had described on social networks how, on the sidelines of a Rammstein concert in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on May 22, she had been singled out by employees of the frontman to come backstage during the concert break. There, according to the woman, it should come to sex with Lindemann. When she did not want to, the singer reacted aggressively.
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At the parties, she and other women were given alcohol, and Lindemann also mingled with the young women and gave them tequila. The next day she finally woke up with bruises and bruises all over her body. She could only remember a few things and had symptoms such as nausea and chills.
She is convinced she was drugged. At the same time, she maintained, "Till did NOT touch me. He accepted that I did not want to have sex with him. I never claimed that he raped me."
Several users showed solidarity with the woman. Other people involved in the concert have now confided in her. However, the Irishwoman is disappointed with the police, with whom she said she had spoken a few days after the concert. The band had commented on the allegations on Twitter: "Regarding the allegations circulating on the net about Vilnius, we can exclude that what is alleged has happened in our environment. We are not aware of any official investigations into this."
Backstage with Lindemann
The new accusations continue. "SZ" and NDR spoke with women who were apparently prepared for potential sex with Lindemann or were surprised by what is said to take place backstage. Thus, a then 22-year-old described how she had been contacted by another woman on Instagram in February 2020. They were invited to party with Lindemann backstage. The Rammstein singer then offered her alcohol and eventually went with her to the dressing room, where he closed the door, the woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, is quoted by the "SZ".
"I don't want to say it was rape, because I did consent, but I wasn't obviously happy about what was happening now either. I was also in quite a lot of pain, and he must have noticed that it wasn't easy to make love to me." She had bled afterwards, but didn't want to say it hurt, "because it was just Till Lindemann. After ten minutes he was done and thanked me and said he was better now."
In another case, a then 21-year-old reported lying unconscious on a hotel bed after one of Lindemann's after-show parties. According to her recollections, the singer was lying on top of her when she regained consciousness and asked her if he should stop. She did not know what he should stop with. The frontman then left, and his associates offered the woman drugs. She refused, the woman said.
Chat transcripts support accusationsOnline since today, 1:36 p.m. (Update: 5:53 p.m.)
According to reports from NDR and "Süddeutsche Zeitung", several people from the Rammstein frontman's entourage were specifically approached to come to after-show parties organized especially for Lindemann. Often this had happened via Instagram or at the concerts themselves. According to Tagesschau.de, for example, the women had to send photos of themselves in advance, or photos and videos were taken. The women had to dress attractively, friends were not allowed.
One woman reported that it had been clearly communicated to her that access to the concert and after-show party was only available if she was interested in having sexual intercourse with Lindemann. Two women told the media that they had been sexually assaulted. In addition, they had been offered drugs. The management of Rammstein had not commented on the new allegations to the "Süddeutsche Zeitung". A letter from Lindemann's lawyer is available, but it is not allowed to quote from it.
Irishwoman got the accusations rolling
Since the Whitsun weekend, accusations against the band have been circulating. An Irish woman had described on social networks how, on the sidelines of a Rammstein concert in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on May 22, she had been singled out by employees of the frontman to come backstage during the concert break. There, according to the woman, it should come to sex with Lindemann. When she did not want to, the singer reacted aggressively.
Twitter | A
At the parties, she and other women were given alcohol, and Lindemann also mingled with the young women and gave them tequila. The next day she finally woke up with bruises and bruises all over her body. She could only remember a few things and had symptoms such as nausea and chills.
She is convinced she was drugged. At the same time, she maintained, "Till did NOT touch me. He accepted that I did not want to have sex with him. I never claimed that he raped me."
Several users showed solidarity with the woman. Other people involved in the concert have now confided in her. However, the Irishwoman is disappointed with the police, with whom she said she had spoken a few days after the concert. The band had commented on the allegations on Twitter: "Regarding the allegations circulating on the net about Vilnius, we can exclude that what is alleged has happened in our environment. We are not aware of any official investigations into this."
Backstage with Lindemann
The new accusations continue. "SZ" and NDR spoke with women who were apparently prepared for potential sex with Lindemann or were surprised by what is said to take place backstage. Thus, a then 22-year-old described how she had been contacted by another woman on Instagram in February 2020. They were invited to party with Lindemann backstage. The Rammstein singer then offered her alcohol and eventually went with her to the dressing room, where he closed the door, the woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, is quoted by the "SZ".
"I don't want to say it was rape, because I did consent, but I wasn't obviously happy about what was happening now either. I was also in quite a lot of pain, and he must have noticed that it wasn't easy to make love to me." She had bled afterwards, but didn't want to say it hurt, "because it was just Till Lindemann. After ten minutes he was done and thanked me and said he was better now."
In another case, a then 21-year-old reported lying unconscious on a hotel bed after one of Lindemann's after-show parties. According to her recollections, the singer was lying on top of her when she regained consciousness and asked her if he should stop. She did not know what he should stop with. The frontman then left, and his associates offered the woman drugs. She refused, the woman said.
The two women made their statements anonymously and under oath in front of the camera. Other women also made similar accusations against Lindemann and told how the singer had repeatedly disappeared with various women from the room where the parties took place. NDR and the "Süddeutsche Zeitung" also have chat transcripts and screenshots that would support the accusations, the reports say.
Several women have come forward to Puls24 in recent days and confirmed this practice. At the after-show parties, most of the time only Lindemann was present, the other band members would celebrate separately, they said. Vienna police told Puls24: "With regard to Rammstein concerts in Vienna in recent years, there were no statistical records of any spiking or sexual offenses during or in the vicinity of these concerts." Spiking is when, for example, drugs or knockout drops are secretly mixed into drinks.
Publisher parts ways with Lindemann over porn video
Meanwhile, the German publisher Kiepenheuer & Witsch (KiWi-Verlag) has ended its cooperation with Lindemann. The singer had published two books ("In stillen Nächten" and "100 Gedichte") with the publisher. "With shock we have followed in recent days public accusations against Till Lindemann. Our sympathy and respect goes to the women affected," the publisher said on social networks. However, a porn video that has been circulating on the net for three years is the reason for the separation.
In the course of the current reporting, the publisher had become aware of the pornographic material. In the clip, Lindemann "celebrated sexual violence against women," according to the publisher. The book of poetry "In Stillen Nächten," published by Kiepenheuer & Witsch in 2013, played a role in this. In the video, the book appears alongside brutal sex scenes and is penetrated by the singer.
Although the freedom of art is defended "with full conviction", in this case "the separation between the 'lyrical I' and the author/artist, which we so staunchly defend, is mocked by the author himself". The publisher considers "this a gross breach of trust and a reckless act towards the values we as a publishing house represent." The relationship of trust with Lindemann is "incurably broken".
The publisher indirectly referred to its line of defense from 2020, when the volume "100 Poems," also published by Kiepenheuer & Witsch, had been sharply criticized for rape fantasies in the poem "Wenn du schläfst." The publisher had come to Lindemann's defense at the time: "The moral outrage over the text of this poem is based on a confusion of the fictional speaker, the so-called 'lyrical I,' with the author Till Lindemann."
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Several women have come forward to Puls24 in recent days and confirmed this practice. At the after-show parties, most of the time only Lindemann was present, the other band members would celebrate separately, they said. Vienna police told Puls24: "With regard to Rammstein concerts in Vienna in recent years, there were no statistical records of any spiking or sexual offenses during or in the vicinity of these concerts." Spiking is when, for example, drugs or knockout drops are secretly mixed into drinks.
Publisher parts ways with Lindemann over porn video
Meanwhile, the German publisher Kiepenheuer & Witsch (KiWi-Verlag) has ended its cooperation with Lindemann. The singer had published two books ("In stillen Nächten" and "100 Gedichte") with the publisher. "With shock we have followed in recent days public accusations against Till Lindemann. Our sympathy and respect goes to the women affected," the publisher said on social networks. However, a porn video that has been circulating on the net for three years is the reason for the separation.
In the course of the current reporting, the publisher had become aware of the pornographic material. In the clip, Lindemann "celebrated sexual violence against women," according to the publisher. The book of poetry "In Stillen Nächten," published by Kiepenheuer & Witsch in 2013, played a role in this. In the video, the book appears alongside brutal sex scenes and is penetrated by the singer.
Although the freedom of art is defended "with full conviction", in this case "the separation between the 'lyrical I' and the author/artist, which we so staunchly defend, is mocked by the author himself". The publisher considers "this a gross breach of trust and a reckless act towards the values we as a publishing house represent." The relationship of trust with Lindemann is "incurably broken".
The publisher indirectly referred to its line of defense from 2020, when the volume "100 Poems," also published by Kiepenheuer & Witsch, had been sharply criticized for rape fantasies in the poem "Wenn du schläfst." The publisher had come to Lindemann's defense at the time: "The moral outrage over the text of this poem is based on a confusion of the fictional speaker, the so-called 'lyrical I,' with the author Till Lindemann."
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