Decapitated released from jail pending kidnap and rape trial

Decapitated
Decapitated

All four members of Decapitated have been released from jail in Spokane, Washington, pending the start of their kidnap and rape trial.

Michal Lysejko, Waclaw Kietlyka, Rafal Piotrowski and Hubert Wiecek are alleged to have participated in the gang rape of a woman on their tour bus after a show in Spokane, Washington, on August 31.

All four are charged with first-degree kidnapping, while Kietlyka and Piotrowski are charged with second-degree rape. Lysejko and Wiecek face charges of third-degree rape.

The band deny the allegations.

The Spokesman-Review report that the Polish band must stay in Washington, but are allowed to leave Spokane County until asked to return. All four were ordered to hand in their passports and had to sign extradition waivers, meaning they would be sent back to the US if they attempted to return to Poland.

Attorneys representing the band filed a motion to have the four released and attached a letter from Polish politician Dominik Tarczynski, who urged authorities to consider the “release of these men on bail until their charges can be resolved.”

Bail had previously been set at $100,000, but they’ve been released on their own recognisance. As part of their release, Lysejko, Kietlyka, Piotrowski and Wiecek are not allowed to contact each other without their lawyers present.

Decapitated were on the bill in Spokane with Thy Art Is Murder – and guitarist Andy Marsh has also supplied testimony, with court documents reporting that the woman in question was “smashing her hands, arms and body against the metal barricade between the audience and the stage.”

The woman told police that she sustained bruises during the alleged attack with the police report stating that she had “significant bruising to her upper arms consistent with being restrained” and “small abrasions to her knuckles that were scabbed over.”

The trial was due to start on December 18 but has now been pushed back until January 16.

Scott Munro
Louder e-commerce editor

Scott has spent 35 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in the summer of 2014 before moving to the e-commerce team in 2020. Scott keeps Louder’s buyer’s guides up to date, writes about the best deals for music fans, keeps on top of the latest tech releases and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more. Over the last 10 years, Scott has written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog. He's previously written for publications including IGN, the Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald newspapers, covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to tech reviews, video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.