Till Lindemann (Rammstein) accused of sexual assault: what we know

The German press reveals multiple investigations into Till Lindemann, the leader of the metal band Rammstein, who is accused of sexual assault.

The uproar in the middle of a world tour. Singer Till Lindemann, frontman of the German metal band Rammstein, has been targeted by dozens of testimonies in the German press, accusing him of sexual assault as part of a predatory system said to be firmly entrenched around him. It all started on Twitter on May 25, when a young Irish woman named Shelby Lynn wrote a lengthy thread with posts claiming she was drugged and sexually abused during a private party on the sidelines of Rammstein’s concert in Vilnius, Lithuania in May to be 22

She explains that before the metal band’s performance, she was invited to a party where she was served a drink. After drinking, Shelby Lynn felt “like a human zombie,” says Shelby Lynn. The fan assures that Till Lindemann tried to have sex with her and lost her refusal. The young woman posted photos of bruises on her body on Twitter without remembering where they came from. Shelby Lynn was treated by police and emergency services the day after the events she described. The investigations are ongoing.

In addition to this statement, the German press has collected dozens of stories from women telling similar facts and exposing a predatory system surrounding Till Lindemann. Fans would be recruited through social media and then herded to the front row of their concerts, dubbed “Row Zero.” Before or after the show, they were invited into the group’s dressing rooms, offered alcohol or cocaine, and had their phone confiscated before being taken to Till Lindemann’s.

A dozen women between the ages of 20 and 22 testified in several investigations by the German media NDR and NDR Southgerman newspaper. A second survey was published by the weekly newspaper The worldIt details the role of a certain Alena Makeeva, a Russian woman in her 30s, who is responsible for spotting young women in the front row of Rammstein concerts to present the photos and videos to the group’s leader.

Rammstein denies the allegations

The release of Sherlby Lynn and the flare-up of the case prompted Rammstein to respond to the allegations in a statement. “In view of the allegations about Vilnius circulating on the Internet, we can rule out that what is being claimed took place in our environment. We are not aware of any official investigations into this case,” says a first press release, followed a second after new revelations from the German press.

“The posts of the last few days have caused irritation and questions among the public and especially among our fans. These allegations have touched us all deeply and we take them very seriously. We say to our fans: It is important to us that you feel comfortable and safe at our shows – in front of and behind the stage. We condemn any form of aggression and ask that you refrain from engaging in public condemnation of any kind against those who made the allegations. They have a right to their point of view “But we as a band also have a right – namely not to be judged”, it reads.

These allegations come in full force on Rammstein’s world tour, which is set to take place next July 21 at the Stade de France in Paris.