Andrew Tate, a disgraced influencer, is accused of rape, human trafficking, and organising a group to prey on women. Tuesday saw the indictment of the former boxer, his brother Tristan Tate, and two of his female companions in Romania.
The Tate brothers were detained in December of last year at their home in Bucharest following accusations that they had sexually assaulted six different women. The two have refuted the charges.
Tristan, 34, and Andrew, 36, are accused of coercing female victims into participating in pornography while posting their footage online. Tristan has been charged with inciting violence, while Andrew is also accused of raping a lady.
The two brothers and their colleagues are also accused of organising a criminal organisation in 2021 to engage in people trafficking, among other countries, in the UK, the USA, and Romania. The trio, which had been detained since December 2022, was sentenced to home arrest by a Romanian tribunal in March.
The accused will show up in court on Wednesday at 11 a.m. local time in Bucharest. The court will then rule on their home arrest and set a date for their trial. According to Romanian law, the trial won’t start for 60 days since the case must first go to a preliminary chamber where the judge can review the materials.
Andrew and Tristan’s team issued a statement after the indictment disputing the accusations. Although this news was certainly foreseeable, their media team stated, “will welcome the chance to fight in court and present arguments and evidence to prove their innocence.”
The indictment, they continued, gives them the opportunity to “present a comprehensive body of evidence, diligently gathered and prepared over time, which will undoubtedly substantiate the brothers’ claims of innocence.”
“By presenting facts and proof pertinent to the case, our main goal will be to establish the truth and ensure a fair and impartial legal approach. Referring the case to trial will enable us to present a thorough body of evidence that has been carefully compiled and prepared over time, which will unquestionably be crucial in clearing the defendants, according to the team.
Tate has frequently made news over the past few years for his misogynistic remarks and deeds. He was expelled from the British reality series Big Brother in 2016 when a video of him assaulting a woman went viral.
Nevertheless, he kept gaining popularity on social media, where he flaunted his opulent lifestyle and upheld a hypermasculine persona. Teachers and parents from all across the world were still anxious about how the influencer might affect their teenage sons.
After being reported thousands of times, Tate’s social media accounts were eventually blocked. After saying that “women should bear some responsibility for being sexually assaulted,” his Twitter account was deleted last year. But after Elon Musk became the platform’s new CEO, it was restored.