power and abuse
Does the concert scene have a “structural problem”?
06/18/2023, 00:12
The allegations against Rammstein and singer Till Lindemann are currently causing a stir. But according to Family Minister Lisa Paus, the problem in the concert scene is said to be much greater. Stars would abuse their position of power, some events would not protect women enough.
Federal Family Minister Lisa Paus does not believe that the allegations against Rammstein singer Till Lindemann are an isolated case. “Without prejudice in a specific case: the way I see the discussion, we have a structural problem in the concert scene that is finally being talked about,” she told the “Bild am Sonntag”.
“I can understand that the after-show parties of the Rammstein concerts in Berlin have now been banned,” Paus continued. But this can only be the first step. “The organizers have the task of protecting young fans in particular.” Several women had made serious allegations against Lindemann in the past few weeks. They described to the Norddeutscher Rundfunk and the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” how young women were apparently specifically recruited for sex with the singer. Two women also reported alleged sexual acts that they would not have consented to. The band denied the allegations.
According to Paus, the case reveals a fundamental problem: “Some public events are not organized in such a way that women and girls can really feel safe.” There are “stars who clearly abuse their position of power over women”. Both of these must change, the minister demanded.
After the allegations against Rammstein, consequences have already been drawn at concerts and, among other things, the controversial “Series Zero” right in front of the stage, where young women are said to have been invited who were later allowed to take part in the after-show parties, has been abolished. Several criminal charges are said to have been filed against singer Till Lindemann under Section 177, which regulates, among other things, sexual assault. The public prosecutor’s office in Berlin has initiated an investigation against the singer.