Andrew Tate: Romania court rules trial on charges of rape and human trafficking can start

The trial for controversial internet personality Andrew Tate who has been charged with human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women can start, ruled a court in the Romanian capital city of Bucharest, on Friday (Apr 26). This comes 10 months after he and three others, including his brother Tristan were first indicted.

What did the court rule?

The Bucharest Tribunal, which needed to inspect the case files and evidence to ensure legality, ruled that the prosecutors’ case file against Tate met all the requirements and the case could go to trial. However, the court did not set a date for the trial to begin.

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“The court notes the legality of evidence management by...prosecutors, and rules that the case can go to trial,” the Bucharest court said, adding the ruling can be challenged on appeal. Tate’s spokesperson, Mateea Petrescu, as per the Associated Press said the ruling has been appealed.

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“The ruling issued by the preliminary chamber judge lacks legal basis and reasoning,” Eugen Vidineac, one of the brothers’ lawyers, said after the decision. He added, “We have filed a strong appeal as we believe the ruling to be unlawful.”

Ahead of the ruling on Friday, the case had been discussed for months at the preliminary chamber stages where the defendants can challenge the evidence and case filed by the prosecutors.

About Tate’s case

Last year, in June, Andrew, 37, along with his brother Tristan and two Romanian female suspects were indicted for human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women, charges they have denied.

This was after Andrew and others were arrested in December 2022 near Bucharest. The Tate brothers were held in police custody during the criminal investigation for three months, before being moved to house arrest.

Over the years, Andrew has garnered millions of followers across social media platforms and has been banned from several prominent ones for his misogynistic views and hate speech.

He has repeatedly claimed that the prosecutors in Romania have no evidence against him and said that this is a political conspiracy to silence him.

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Meanwhile, Romanian prosecutors have alleged that Andrew and Tristan recruited their victims by seducing them and falsely claiming to want a relationship or marriage.

The prosecutors also said that the victims would then be taken to their properties outside the capital and through physical violence and mental intimidation were sexually exploited by being forced to produce pornographic content for social media sites that generated large financial gain.

In March, the Tate brothers, who are dual British-American citizens also appeared at the Bucharest Court of Appeal which approved a request from Britain to extradite the duo but only after the completion of Romanian trial proceedings.

The United Kingdom issued arrest warrants for the duo over allegations of sexual aggression in a case dating back to 2012-15.

(With inputs from agencies)