Till Lindemann’s legal team get publication ban against Der Spiegel for reporting of sexual misconduct allegations

Rammstein frontman Till Lindemann‘s legal team have been awarded a legal victory against German news outlet Der Spiegel concerning their reporting on the recent sexual misconduct allegations that have cropped up this year against their client.

As reported by various media outlets, the so-called “Row 0” backstage parties have drawn the interest of German prosecutors, after a woman came forward with allegations of being drugged at one of these events this past spring.

An article published on June 10, 2023 by Der Spiegel about the “Row 0” parties became the subject of a lawsuit. There has now been a temporary ruling for a publication ban against Der Spiegel.

A statement by Lindemann‘s legal team can be read below:

On the cover of its edition dated June 10, 2023 (Issue No. 24/2023), SPIEGEL reported under the headline “Twilight of the Gods” about allegations made by various women. The article was also published online under the title “Sex, Power, Alcohol – What the young women from Row Zero report” in the SPIEGEL+ subscription section.

By interim injunction of the Hamburg Regional Court dated July 14, 2023, SPIEGEL has now been prohibited from suggesting that Till Lindemann drugged or had women drugged with knockout drops/drugs/alcohol during concerts of the group “Rammstein” to enable him to perform sexual acts on the women. In the grounds of the decision, the Hamburg Regional Court states that there is a lack of the necessary minimum evidence for this serious suspicion.

Specifically, it states: “No testimony of the witnesses, who have sworn their statements under oath or to the authors of the applicant (cf. affidavits of the authors of the applicant …), bears the suspicion that the applicant drugged or had women drugged with knockout drops/alcohol/drugs at concerts to enable him to perform sexual acts on the women.”

The reference to the insufficient affidavits of the alleged witnesses is of particular relevance because SPIEGEL based its reporting prominently on alleged conversations with a dozen women and also on the signing of several affidavits. With the decision of the Hamburg Regional Court, the most serious allegation made in the contested SPIEGEL article has been banned by the court.

In addition, SPIEGEL has been prohibited from making two false factual claims. The judicial ban includes 18 partially long passages of the article, which are reproduced in detail on 6 pages of the interim injunction.

The decision of the Hamburg Regional Court is exemplary of a suspicion reporting on the “MeToo” topic that has completely gone off track in recent times. Aware that reporting on this topic ensures high sales and online views, the media increasingly ignore the guidelines established by the case law for suspicion reporting.

Again and again, serious allegations are reported even though only one-sided statements are available and criminal investigations have not been initiated or are still at an early stage. This leads to massive pre-judgements and violations of the presumption of innocence as provided by the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

To the extent that the suspicion prohibited to SPIEGEL has also been raised by other media, which we are also taking legal action against.