The four members of a Polish heavy metal band accused of kidnapping and raping a woman on their tour bus after a concert over the summer have pleaded not guilty.
The members of the band Decapitated are in jail in Washington State on a $100,000 bail each – and have appeared in court in Tuesday to deny the charges.
Over the summer a woman claims she was invited onto their bus after one of their concerts and then attacked in the bathroom by all four musicians.
Lead singer Rafal Piotrowski, 31, and band members Hubert Wiecek, 30, Waclaw Kieltyka, 35, and Michal Lysejko, 31, said little during the court appearance, other than to enter their pleas.
Lead singer of Decapitated Rafael Pitrowski, 31, appeared alongside his band members to plead not guilty to charges of rape and kidnap
Members of the band Decapitated were arrested Saturday September 9 on charges of kidnapping a woman after a concert on August 31 in Spokane, Washington. Pictured are Rafal Piotrowski, 31, left, and Waclaw Kieltyka, 35, right
That woman also says that the band members sexually assaulted her on their tour bus. Pictured are Michal Lysejko, 31, left, and Hubert Wiecek, 30, right
‘I am not guilty,’ Lysejko told the judge in heavily accented English.
The other three also entered their pleas in English, and all four wore yellow jumpsuits and handcuffs as they entered and left the courtroom.
A Polish interpreter explained the court proceedings to them over a speakerphone.
The group was arrested in Los Angeles on September 9 and sent to Washington earlier this month to face charges. Spokane County Superior Court Judge Annette Plese set trial for Dec. 18 but said it’s likely to be pushed back into the new year.
Attorney Jeffry Finer, who represents Piotrowski, said his client has no known criminal record in the United States or Poland.
Finer said last week that the band has made numerous visits to the US over the years with no criminal incidents.
In a statement recently posted on social media, the band said the allegations were false and they were confident they would be released and allowed to return home.
Decapitated had been touring with the Australian band Thy Art is Murder, and performed several shows after the Spokane concert before being arrested.
The alleged victim and her friend told police in Spokane that after attending the show they ended up speaking with the band’s members and were invited to drink in their tour bus. Pictured left to right are Lysejko, Piotrowski, Kieltykaand Wiecek
An attorney said in court last week that the band has made numerous visits to the US over the years with no criminal incidents. A translator was present in court for the band members. Hubert Wiecek is pictured leaving court
Attorney Jeffry Finer, who represents Piotrowski, pictured right, said his client has no known criminal record in the United States or Poland. Pictured left are Hubert Wiecek, far left, and Waclaw Kieltyka, center
The alleged victim and her friend told police in Spokane that after attending the show they ended up speaking with the band’s members and were invited to drink in their tour bus, according to court documents.
After getting on the bus the women said they quickly became uncomfortable.
Then, when the alleged victim went to use the bus’s bathroom, she claims she was followed inside by one of the band members.
The woman tried to push him away, ‘but he grabbed her arm and spun her around to where she was facing the sink and mirror in the bathroom,’ court documents said.
‘She saw in the mirror and out of the corner of her eye each of the band members taking turns raping her.’
Her friend said that she watched the band members raping the woman, according to court documents. She told police she was able to escape after kicking one of the men in the groin.
After the attack, the alleged victim said a band member helped her get dressed and carried her out of the bus.
The woman walked away from the tour bus and immediately called 911, court documents said.
By the time a police officer arrived on the scene, the tour bus was gone.
The woman was examined at a hospital where she was found to have upper arm bruises consistent with being restrained and other injuries, the documents said.
Lawyers for the band members have said they have witnesses who can dispute the women’s accounts.
In addition to $100,000 bail, the men were ordered to surrender their passports.