Sexual misconduct investigation into Rammstein star dropped
Prosecutors in Germany have dropped an investigation into Rammstein frontman Till Lindemann, following allegations of sexual misconduct.
The investigation was opened in June after several women claimed they were drugged and recruited to engage in sexual activity.
The selected women are said to have been given access to a so-called “Row Zero” – a restricted area directly in front of the stage.
Lindemann always denied the allegations and his legal team dismissed the claims as “without exception untrue”.
Berlin’s prosecution office shared a statement on Tuesday (29 August) that read: “The evaluation of the available evidence — above all the press reports that refer to anonymous whistleblowers, as well as the additional questioning of witnesses — has not produced any indications that the accused has carried out sexual acts on women against their will, administered disabling substances or exploited a power imbalance towards underage sexual partners in order to persuade them to have sex.”
“The rapid termination of investigative proceedings by the Berlin state prosecutor’s office shows there is insufficient evidence”
Lawyers for Lindemann said: “The rapid termination of investigative proceedings by the Berlin state prosecutor’s office shows that there is insufficient evidence that our client allegedly committed sexual offences.”
The wave of complaints about Lindemann came after a woman from Northern Ireland went public with her belief that she had been drugged by the frontman at an afterparty in Vilnius, Lithuania on 22 May. A number of other women then made further allegations against the German singer.
The claims were met with calls to axe Rammstein’s European stadium tour, with close to 100,000 people signing a petition demanding the cancellation of three sold-out concerts at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium on 15-16 and 18 July. Meanwhile, hundreds of protestors assembled outside various concerts during the tour.
Promoters including Greenhouse Talent and Gadget abc subsequently addressed concerns about Rammstein tour dates, confirming there would be no “Row Zero” at their shows, while aftershow parties in Berlin and Munich were cancelled.
At the time, the band issued a statement saying they took the allegations “extremely seriously. We say to our fans: It’s important to us that you feel comfortable and safe at our shows – in front and behind the stage.”
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