Decapitated Accused of Gang-Raping Spokane Woman After Concert

BY Calum SlingerlandPublished Sep 12, 2017

All four members of Polish death metal outfit Decapitated are accused of gang-raping a woman on board their tour bus following a performance in Spokane, WA, on August 31, according to court documents obtained by the Spokesman-Review.

The alleged victim and a friend told Spokane police they attended the band's show at the Pin venue late last month. According to the documents, the women tried to get pictures with the drummer from another band and were invited onto Decapitated's tour bus parked outside of the venue after the show ended.

The documents note that one of the women "described being excited to be on the bus, and then one of the band members began grabbing her breasts...He was later identified as the drummer, Michal Lysejko."

The same woman "was uncomfortable and said the band members began speaking to each other in Polish," the documents read. "She described the 'vibe' in the bus changed, and one of the members began looking at them like they were prey."

Upon looking at her friend "to signal they needed to get out of there," the woman went to use the bathroom and was followed by vocalist Rafal Piotrowski, the documents read. The woman told police that after he began kissing her, she "attempted to push Piotrowski away but he grabbed her arm and spun her around to where she was facing the sink and mirror in the bathroom."

Court documents read that the woman "saw in the mirror and out of the corner of her eye each of the band members taking turns raping her."

Her friend also said she watched the band members rape the other woman. She said Piotrowski then asked her to perform oral sex on him, and upon refusing, "she was pushed to the ground and received bruises to her knees and shins."

After leaving the tour bus and driving away, the friend was pulled over by police on suspicion of driving under the influence. After the woman on the tour bus reported rape over the phone, a state trooper said he couldn't assist without a specific location.

In the documents, the victim "described her body as feeling broken" and was taken off the bus by guitarist Waclaw Kieltyka and another male "after an unknown amount of time." The woman called family members before calling 911, with an officer finding her walking north of the venue.

Officers returned to the Pin and "checked the area for the tour bus, but the band had already left Spokane for their next venue." The victim was taken to a hospital for a sexual assault examination, with documents noting "significant bruising to her upper arms consistent with being restrained" and "small abrasions to her knuckles that were scabbed over."

Documents show that the band members were interviewed by detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office last Thursday (September 7). Drummer Lysejko "made no comment other than he did not know who the girls were" when shown a photo of them, adding that "he would not talk without using a translator."

Guitarist Kieltyka said he saw vocalist Piotrowski and bassist Hubert Wiecek engage in sex acts in the bus bathroom. Piotrowski "admitted there was a party on the bus and [the women] were present," before asking for a lawyer and translator ahead of "refusing to make any further statements."

Wiecek admitted to the women being on the bus, though he told detectives he "sat on the couch and did not see what was going on," with court documents adding that ""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 declined. All four band members were arrested September 9 in Santa Ana, CA, on first-degree kidnapping charges.

The band are currently being held in a Los Angeles County jail facing extradition to Spokane. The Spokesman-Review reports that police have said additional charges are possible. Lawyer Steve Graham told the publication that Decapitated "plan to fully fight the allegations that are brought against them, and we are fully confident that the other side of this story will be heard."

Graham declined to comment further. The band have yet to release a statement on the allegations.

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