DECAPITATED: 'We Are Not Kidnappers, Rapists Or Criminals'
September 14, 2017Polish death metallers DECAPITATED have "strongly denied" the allegations that they kidnapped and sexually assaulted a woman on a tour bus in Washington.
According to court documents obtained by The Spokesman-Review, the woman alleged she was gang-raped by the musicians in their tour bus bathroom after DECAPITATED's August 31 concert with THY ART IS MURDER at The Pin concert venue in downtown Spokane as part of the two bands' "Double Homicide" tour. The woman said entered the bus for drinks with the band before each member forced themselves on her.
All four members of DECAPITATED — Michal Lysejko, 31, Waclaw Kieltyka, 35, Rafal Piotrowski, 31, and Hubert Wiecek, 30 — were arrested at around 2 a.m. Saturday in Santa Ana, California after performing at the Observatory.
In a newly released official statement, the members of DECAPITATED proclaimed their innocence while condemning the hatred directed at them on social media by individuals who are not familiar with all the facts of the case.
They wrote: "While we are not perfect human beings, we are not kidnappers, rapists, or criminals. As such, we strongly deny the allegations that have recently been brought against us.
"We ask that everyone please reserve their judgement until a definitive outcome has been reached, as charges have yet to be pressed. Full testimony and evidence will be presented in due time, and we have faith in that process.
"As there is uncertainty regarding a timeline for prospective proceedings and out of respect for fans and promoters, due to the severity of the claims, we have cancelled all planned touring.
"All social media platforms have been temporarily disabled as they have been used as destinations for defamatory and malicious remarks. We would like to point out that the statements in the published police report were given prior to an arrest. At that point, no member of the band was aware of an active warrant being issued."
Prior to being arrested, DECAPITATED guitarist Waclaw Kieltyka told detectives he saw both singer Rafal Piotrowski and bassist Hubert Wiecek engaged in a sex acts with the woman in the bathroom. Piotrowski "admitted there was a party on the bus and (the women) were present. He then requested an attorney and a translator refusing to make any further statements," court documents say. Wiecek admitted the women had been on the bus, but said he "sat on the couch and did not see what was going on," court documents say. "He then said he needed a translator so he did not misspeak. He also said no one was forced to get on the bus. He then said he did not recall what happened."
Kieltyka agreed to have a DNA swab collected as evidence, while Piotrowski and Wiecek both declined to give DNA samples.
Los Angeles County jail records show the four men were being held without bail. They were awaiting extradition to Spokane.
In court Tuesday afternoon, the bandmembers took turns in front of a judge agreeing to be extradited to Washington, according to KABC. They all had a Polish translator while a representative from the Polish consulate sat in the courtroom.
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