German band Rammstein accused of sexual misconduct and abuse of power

The singer of the German band Rammstein is accused of sexual misconduct and abuse of power. The newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ) and the broadcaster NDR recently investigated allegations by several women.

The German media discovered “numerous” cases of alleged assault and sexual misconduct by the band, in particular by singer and frontman Till Lindemann (60).

The journalists started their investigation after a woman told her story on Instagram. There she said that after a Rammstein concert in Vilnius she was offered drink and sex by the singer. She refused. According to her, the singer then left her alone, but walked away cursing.

“Countless” other women would have found themselves in similar situations. A 21-year-old woman had sex with Lindemann after a concert in Hanover. In her own words, it wouldn’t be rape because she agreed. Still, she was clearly not happy with what happened: “I was also in considerable pain and he must have noticed that it was not easy to have sex with me,” the woman told the newspaper.

Rammstein is known for the controversy the band causes. The band name comes from a fatal accident during an air show in 1988 that killed 35 people. And a special edition of an album the group released in 2009 featured six dildos, each representing a member of the band.

In a tweet, Rammstein denies the women’s allegations: “We can rule out that what is alleged happened in our environment. We are not aware of any official investigations into this matter.”