Germany: Rammstein singer's sexual assault probe dropped

The Berlin state prosecutor's office said Tuersday it has dropped investigations into Rammstein frontman Till Lindemann.

Lindemann had been accused of sexual misconduct during concerts and multiple cases of sexual assault.

What did Berlin prosecutors say about the allegations against Lindemann?

Prosecutors said that initial investigations "did not provide any evidence" of the claims.

The investigations were initiated on the basis of complaints by third parties in connection with press reports, the statement said.

Prosecutors said that law enforcement agencies have yet to receive testimony from any alleged victims of Lindemann's conduct, meaning that investigators were not able to substantiate the allegations.

Investigators also did not find evidence that the suspect had committed drug-facilitated sexual assault or that he had used a power imbalance to sexually exploit a minor.

In the same statement, prosecutors said they had dropped a similar probe into Alena Makeeva, a former member of Rammstein's management who "invited" girls to afterparties for encounters with Lindemann, after insufficient evidence was found that she had engaged in criminal activity.

Makeeva was banned from attending further Rammstein concerts in June.

"The rapid termination of investigative proceedings by the Berlin state prosecutor's office shows that there is insufficient evidence that our client allegedly committed sexual offenses," Lindemann's legal representatives said on Tuesday.

In June, two of Lindemann's lawyers announced they would file charges against the singer's accusers. "[The] allegations are without exception false," they said.

No Lindemann probe in Lithuania

In June, prosecutors in Vilnius, Lithuania said they would not open investigations into the Rammstein frontman after they had examined the circumstances surrounding the allegations against him.

Shelby Lynn, a fan from Northern Ireland, said Lindemann reacted aggressively when she refused to have sex with him during a concert in Vilnius and that she suspected that her drink was spiked with a drug. Lithuanian prosecutors said that no evidence had been found that Lynn had been subject to coercion.

Berlin prosecutors on Tuesday said that the Lynn's testimony remained too "vague" and that she did not report having personally witnessed any incidents that would amount to criminal offenses.

The Berlin state prosecutor's office said it had analyzed documents provided to it by Lithuanian authorities and found that they also did not show any indications of offenses committed by Lindemann.

sdi/ab (AFP, dpa)