Andrew Tate, a well-known social media personality notorious for expressing misogynistic views online, has been charged with rape, human trafficking, and forming a criminal gang aimed at exploiting women in Romania. The nation’s anti-organized crime agency has also filed charges against Tate’s brother, Tristan, as well as two Romanian women.
According to the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism, the four defendants formed a criminal group in 2021 with the purpose of engaging in human trafficking not only in Romania but also in the United States and Britain. Allegedly, seven female victims were deceived and transported to Romania, where they were subjected to sexual exploitation and physical violence by the gang. The statement reveals that one defendant is accused of raping a woman twice in March 2022.
Andrew Tate, 36, has been residing in Romania since 2017. The former professional kickboxer has continuously claimed that Romanian prosecutors lack evidence and that the case is a political conspiracy to silence him. Tate’s spokesperson, Mateea Petrescu, announced that the brothers are prepared to prove their innocence and restore their reputation. They are expected to attend a hearing in Bucharest the following morning, where they will cooperate fully with the authorities and present evidence to refute the accusations.
Under Romanian law, the judge has a maximum of 60 days to review the case files before the defendants are sent to trial. The Tate brothers, who hold dual British-U.S. citizenship, along with the two Romanian suspects, were detained in late December in Bucharest. On March 31, they succeeded in appealing to be transferred from police custody to house arrest.
During his peak as a social media figure, Andrew Tate had amassed over 6 million Twitter followers, predominantly young men and schoolchildren. He had previously faced bans from platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook due to his hate speech and misogynistic comments, including victim-blaming in cases of sexual assault. However, Tate’s Twitter account was reinstated by the platform’s new CEO, Elon Musk. Organizations like Hope Not Hate, which campaigns against far-right extremism in the U.K., have expressed concern about Tate’s influence on young men and teenage boys, who are drawn to his online persona despite his “misogynist, homophobic, and racist content.”
Romania’s anti-organized crime agency, DIICOT, has stated that the seven alleged victims were lured under false pretenses of love and coerced into participating in pornography in Ilfov county. These women were allegedly controlled through intimidation, constant surveillance, and false claims of debt. The agency has also ordered the confiscation of the Tate brothers’ assets, including 15 luxury cars, luxury watches, and approximately $3 million in cryptocurrency.
Several women in Britain are also pursuing civil claims against Tate, seeking damages for being victims of sexual violence. In a recent interview with the BBC, Tate denied spreading a culture of misogyny and manipulating women for financial gain.
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