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Polish death metal band Decapitated accused of kidnapping woman after gig

Band deny charge against them and say witnesses will testify that the accuser 'came of her own free will and left on good terms'

Roisin O'Connor
Music Correspondent
Tuesday 12 September 2017 08:05 BST
Polish death metal band Decapitated deny charges of kidnapping made against them
Polish death metal band Decapitated deny charges of kidnapping made against them (Facebook)

Polish death metal band Decapitated have been arrested in LA after being accused of holding a woman against her will after a gig.

The band were held in California and charged with kidnapping, and are waiting to be taken back to Spokane, Washington State, where the kidnapping is alleged to have taken place.

The local police department said that the incident occurred in the early hours of 1 September after the band's show at local venue The Pin.

"Spokane Police received a call from a victim reporting an incident that happened after a concert in downtown Spokane," Cpl Teresa Fuller, from Spokane City Police Department, wrote in a statement on its website.

"A patrol officer responded and assisted the victim. The report was then sent to the Special Victim's Unit for follow up.

"Based on the information they developed during the subsequent investigation, and with assistance from the LA County SO, the four males were taken into custody for 1st Degree Kidnapping in Santa Ana this morning."

According to local publication Spokesman-Review, a lawyer for the band says they deny the charges against them.

"There is another side to this," he said. "We have witnesses that can testify to the fact that the accuser came to visit the band of her own free will and left on good terms.

"I made it clear that I could get the guys up here ASAP and they would cooperate."

Band members Michal Lysejko, 27, Waclaw J. Kieltyka, 35, Rafal Piotrowski, 31, and Hubert Wiecek, 30, are said to be cooperating with authorities.

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Decapitated were set to play 13 more dates across North America in support of their new album Anticult before returning to Europe.

They were performing shows on their Double Homicide with Australian deathcore band Thy Art is Murder.

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