Till Lindemann, the leader of the most famous German group in the world, allegedly sexually assaulted several of his young fans after his concerts. Testimonials are pouring in.
From our correspondent in Berlin, Pascale Hugues
© EYEPIX / NurPhoto / NurPhoto via AFP
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Un #MeToo case is gaining momentum in Germany: several young women accuse Till Lindemann, the leader of the metal band Rammstein, of having sexually assaulted them, abusing his power and the aura exerted on them. The investigation published last Saturday and carried out jointly by a team of investigative journalists from the daily Suddeutsche Zeitung and from the NDR television channel describes the workings of a real folding system. The same process was repeated in several cities all over Europe. Young women meeting very specific physical criteria were challenged on social networks, most of the time on Instagram, or directly in the public during concerts. The Rammstein team invited them to come and meet their idol backstage at the end of the show, or even during the concerts.
Shelby Lynn is the first to have spoken, a few days ago on social networks. This Irish groupie recounts how she was drugged before Till Lindemann sexually assaulted her at a band concert in Vilnius. Rammstein denies. But this revelation immediately snowballed and released the words of several other young women on social networks. Some recounted this shameful secret they carried within them, bearing a testimony similar to that of Shelby Lynn. A dozen girls chose a pseudonym and testified under oath.
Invited to dress sexy
Approached in most cases by a certain “Alena M”, a smiling and reassuring Russian, in reality hired by Rammstein to animate the backstage and providing girls to Lindemann, they were asked to dress sexy and led backstage, sometimes in groups of about ten. To wait before the arrival of their idol, “Alena M” offered them alcohol and cocaine at will. The girls, to whom “Alena M” never asked their age, were very young. Till Lindemann, 60, loves fresh flesh.
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Another case: that of Cynthia A. At the end of the afternoon, in February 2020, the concert had not yet started when Till Lindemann opened the backstage door leading to the entrance hall and waved to Cynthia A . to join him. He wants to show her something, he tells the 22-year-old girl who can’t believe her eyes. A few minutes later, Till Lindemann drags her into an adjoining room where he sexually abuses her. “At the time, she recalls today, I just thought: Oh my God, it hurts. I hope it will end soon. “Impressed by the star and totally paralyzed, she does not dare to say no.
“Lindemann, she said, must have realized that it hurt me and that I was very tense. Then I bled. The whole thing lasted about ten minutes. “A very fast and very violent act. But I didn’t want to say that it hurt me, precisely because it was Till Lindemann”. At the time, Cynthia A. did not go to report the facts to the police, but she told several friends about this attack, who, under oath, confirmed all these details to journalists. Cynthia A. admits that for a long time she blamed herself. Today, she talks about aggression and abuse of power.
Another testimony, that of Kaya R., 21 years old at the time. She says she found herself passed out in a hotel room. When she regained consciousness, Till Lindemann was lying on top of her. He asks him if he should stop. “I didn’t even know what he was talking about,” she says today. After a while, Lindemann leaves the room. Members of her team offer drugs to Kaya R. She refuses. The next morning, she wakes up in another bedroom. She asks to speak to Till Lindemann. They reply: “And what do you want to ask him? If he used a condom? »
The group says it is “deeply touched”
Hundreds of women have come to the defense of Till Lindemann on social networks. Hundreds of videos and testimonials have been posted on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. The former girlfriend of Till Lindemann, too, showed his support for the singer. Mute for a long time, the group finally reacted. “These accusations have affected us all deeply and we take them very seriously. Rammstein assures that the safety of the fans will be ensured during the concerts, “in front and behind the stage”. “We denounce all kinds of violence and we ask you: do not participate in all these public accusations. The group claims to have a “right not to be judged without a trial”.
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It is certain that this business falls badly for the group which begins a great tour. First series of sold-out concerts from June 7 to 11 at the Olympic Park in Munich. The city has already announced that the famous “row zero”, the first row where the girls likely to please Till Lindemann were parked, would be removed. Aftershow parties have also been cancelled. The publishing house Kiepenheuer & Witsch, which publishes texts and poems by Rammstein, suspended its collaboration, evoking rape fantasies and pornographic scenes. As for the Rossmann beauty products chain, it has withdrawn the Rammstein perfume from online sales and halted all advertising.
A nasty affair that risks dealing a blow to the most famous German group in the world with more than 20 million albums sold. “Few artists in the current musical landscape offer a live of this magnitude, a masterful staging fueled by a profusion of fireworks, massive explosions of smoke”, can we read on the Stade’s website from France where Rammstein will perform on July 22.