protect women! Family Minister reacts to Rammstein controversy

Till Lindemann and Rammstein are now also a case for the federal government. After reports that the band would pursue their own system to get the singer as young as possible for sex after the gigs, there were increasing reports from those affected that they were either rendered unconscious with knockout drops or even sexually abused.

Now the Federal Family Minister Lisa Paus (Greens) has also intervened in the case. In an interview with the AFP news agency, she called for changes in concert operations to better protect women from attacks. For this purpose, she suggested separate protection areas at concerts and the use of so-called awareness teams, which would be available on site as contact persons in the event of suspected sexual assaults.

One must now act “quickly and specifically”, said Paus – which would also include the abolition of “Row Zero”. What is meant by this is a separate area in front of the stage, where, in the case of Rammstein, a small number of women are invited to performances in order to be provided with alcoholic beverages and other advantages over other visitors and then to gain access to the after-show party .

Is the music industry living up to its responsibilities?

“A serious debate about the responsibility of artists and promoters towards their fans makes sense,” Paus said in an interview with AFP, suggesting that the music industry should join the “Alliance Against Sexism” as a whole. “The alliance opposes all forms of sexism and sexual harassment,” she said.

After several concerts in other European countries, Rammstein will play in Germany again on Wednesday. Then their first of four concerts will take place in Munich. Green politicians had already announced that they would already apply the demands, which the Federal Minister for Family Affairs was now loudly proclaiming, in the Bavarian state capital.

More on the topic

Rammstein have already commented on the allegations – which include a report by a research collective from “NDR” and “Süddeutsche Zeitung” – and asked them to refrain from prejudice. There are no charges against Lindemann or other members of the band. In the meantime, the publisher Kiepenheuer & Witsch has separated from its author Till Lindemann, arguing that in a porn in which the singer can be seen, a volume of poetry published by KiWi was misused for sexual acts and in which Clip celebrating sexual violence against women.