Should the Rammstein concerts be cancelled?
After a woman from Northern Ireland made accusations against Rammstein lead singer Till Lindemann at the end of May, several other young women have come forward making similar claims which point to the systematic recruitment of female fans for backstage and their sexual assault while on drugs. Calls are now being heard in Switzerland to cancel the Rammstein concerts scheduled for later this week.
Ban performances to protect the victims
The concerts should not take place as long as the accusations stand, the Tages-Anzeiger insists:
“The presumption of innocence also applies to Till Lindemann, that goes without saying. ... Nevertheless, the two Rammstein concerts in Bern next week should not take place. ... This is not only in the interest of possible victims of abuse, who would feel ridiculed if the accusations were actually true. ... The vast majority of fans are likely to have assumed that the stage persona Till Lindemann, with his fantasies of abuse and humiliation, is an ambiguous art figure. ... But can such art — which is no longer art at all if it describes Lindemann’s real actions — still be consumed unconcernedly?”
Unequal balance of power
Till Lindemann has ruthlessly exploited his position of power, writes the Aargauer Zeitung:
“The longer you listen to the German Youtuber Kayla Shyx, the more you understand how it can happen that women who are barely of age suddenly find themselves naked in front of a 60-year-old rock star. And quite a few of them regret it later on. ... The procedure is apparently always the same — for him. But for a chance to meet the star the fans take a big risk. They are not naive. No! Lindemann, a rock star for three decades, exploits his position of power. And he takes advantage of the fact that the women remain silent afterwards out of shame.”
