Romanian appeal court finds flaws in case against Andrew Tate
A Romanian court has determined that a case brought by public prosecutors against Andrew Tate, who brands himself as a "misogynist influencer," includes many irregularities. The court has instructed the prosecutors to make changes to the case or withdraw it entirely within five days.
In a blow to the nation's anti-organized crime prosecuting agency, Diicot, the Bucharest court of appeal announced on Tuesday that it deemed some of the defense's points legitimate and identified multiple issues with the charges presented.
In 2022, the 37-year-old ex-professional kickboxer and his 36-year-old brother Tristan, along with two women from Romania, were taken into custody. They were officially charged in mid-2023 with crimes including human trafficking, rape, and establishing a criminal organization aimed at sexually exploiting women.
The four individuals have rejected all the accusations made against them. Additionally, the appeals court directed that certain pieces of evidence be excluded, such as witness accounts from two of the claimed victims and remarks made by the brothers, as these were considered not permissible.
The report indicated that the prosecutors failed to sufficiently clarify the accusations against Andrew Tate to one of the alleged victims, did not adequately outline the charges against the female suspects, and the indictment lacked clear details regarding the specific values of the assets seized in the case.
Tate, who holds dual citizenship in the UK and the US, has been prohibited from several social media sites due to his sexist opinions and hate speech. Despite this, he boasts over 10 million followers on X, where he advocates for an intensely masculine lifestyle that many critics argue degrades women.
On Tuesday, he shared on X: “The prosecution was aware that their statements were false. We recognized the falsehoods as well... Their aim was to undermine us. They sought to ruin us and instill fear in us... It was a tactic designed to undermine us with lies before a judge could reveal the reality.”
Eugen Vidineac, one of the attorneys representing the brothers, referred to the ruling as "a significant win." He went on to say, "The court's choice to dismiss crucial evidence and order changes to the indictment highlights the absence of solid accusations against them."
In August, Diicot began a new investigation into the Tate brothers, looking into accusations such as creating a criminal organization, human trafficking, trafficking minors, engaging in sexual relations with a minor, and laundering money.
The brothers were part of six individuals who were detained at that time, after officials decided to put them under house arrest. They have rejected all accusations in the other case as well, which remains unchanged by the appeals court decision made on Tuesday.
UK officials have asked for the Tates to be extradited due to accusations of sexual assault from 2012. In a different decision made in March, a court approved this request, but noted that the legal matters in Romania need to be settled first.
In the second instance, Diicot claims that two individuals employed the “loverboy” tactic, which involves persuading people into believing they are in a romantic relationship. This manipulation led to 34 women being coerced into producing pornographic content, which was then sold online for nearly $3 million (£2.1 million).
Diicot reports that one of the accused coerced a 17-year-old into making pornographic material in both Britain and Romania, generating earnings of $1.5 million. Additionally, it is claimed that this individual engaged in sexual activities with a 15-year-old on multiple occasions.
The Tates and their advocates have consistently asserted that Romanian prosecutors lack any proof against the brothers, insisting that they are innocent of all allegations. They also argue that there is a political plot aimed at silencing them.
This report was prepared with contributions from the Associated Press and Reuters.
