has been struggling with a serious crisis since, after the opening performance of this year’s tour in Vilnius, one of the participants accused her of being drugged with a “rape pill” during the “pre party” with the frontman. Although the 24-year-old does not claim to have been sexually abused by the group’s lead singer Till Lindemann, she has begun collecting testimonies from others recruited to the so-called “zero row” and women’s parties. A serious public debate has begun in Germany, and national politicians are already taking the floor.
Rammstein. What is the band doing about the scandal with the singer?
As part of the Rammstein tour, which began on May 22 in Vilnius, in Munich alone, it will play four concerts – on June 7, 8, 10 and 11. The schedule also includes three concerts in Berlin (July 15, 16 and 18), and more and more people are doubting whether they should take place at all – at least until the case in connection with allegations of drugging and sexual abuse of young female fans will not be fully explained. Meanwhile, the Federal Minister for Family Affairs Lisa Paus (Green activist) on Tuesday before the concerts in Munich appealed for better protection of Rammstein concert participants – reports Paus also believes that the band should give up the “zero row” at their concerts. He points out that young and attractive women selected for him may become potential victims of sexual assault.
The city authorities assure that they will ensure that after the concerts there are no “after parties” with the band members, especially the vocalist. “Welt” also informs that although Rammstein publicly comments on the matter rather sparingly, the band’s managers have taken concrete steps in connection with the scandal. Firstly, as part of crisis management, Alena Makeeva, who was working on the band, who was looking for young and attractive participants of “pre parties”, “after parties” from the so-called “zero order”, was removed from the musicians and immediately banned from appearing at the group’s concerts. Although he is currently in Munich, according to reports in the German press, he is due to return to his native Russia soon.
The Welt am Sontag newspaper reported that illicit substances and drugs were allegedly used at events where Makeeva recruited young women, and that individual attendees were allegedly forced into non-consensual sexual contacts. Alena Makeeva has been on tour with the band since 2019, and people from Rammstein’s entourage maintain that she has never received any remuneration from the band. On her Instagram profile, the reports of concert goers from the “zero row” no longer appear, but on June 6, he posted a fragment of the recording with a French policeman who was supposed to be present at a backstage party in Vilnius and testified in an interview with Colonel Kurtz that in his opinion, no one acted suspiciously (the video cuts off after he says “never”). The profile description also constantly states that she is “on tour with Till Lindemann”.
alena_makeeva / instagram
“Welt” also established that last Friday Rammstein began to cooperate with a Berlin-based PR agency that specializes in crisis management. The German newspaper points out that so far the group has not had any great experience in working with the press and did not even have a spokesperson. The said PR agency was also to recommend that the team hire reputable lawyers who will carefully analyze the accusations, and they are to provide the first findings within a few days.
Rammstein issued a sparing statement on June 3: “As a result of recent publications, there has been irritation and questions from the public and especially our fans. We have been deeply affected by the allegations and we take them extremely seriously. It is important to us that fans feel safe – from and behind the scenes. We condemn all forms of abuse and we ask you: do not participate in any public bias against those who have made the allegations. They have a right to their point of view. We as a team also have a right to that – namely, not to be prematurely condemned – cites the translation of “Deutche Welle”. The band is scheduled to play in Poland on July 30 and Chorzów on August 1.
You need help?
Sexual violence is any unwanted sexual contact. UNICEF data shows that around 15 million teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19 have experienced this type of violence worldwide, but only 1 percent of teenagers turn to a professional for help. Research shows that 80% of rape victims develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
If you are a victim of sexual violence, you can get help by calling, for example, the “Blue Line” Telephone Clinic – 22 668 70 00 (7 days a week, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) or the 24-hour hotline of the Women’s Rights Center – 600 070 717.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
