Andrew Tate to Stand Trial in Romania on Human Trafficking and Rape Charges , Romanian Court Rules

Andrew Tate, a controversial online influencer and self-proclaimed 'misogynist', will stand trial in Romania on charges of human trafficking, rape, and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women. The Bucharest Tribunal ruled that the prosecutors' case file against Tate met the legal criteria, but did not set a date for the trial to begin.

Tate, along with his brother Tristan, were arrested in December 2022, and two female Romanian associates were also named in the indictment. The Tate brothers have denied the allegations and plan to appeal the charges against them, with Andrew Tate claiming Romanian prosecutors have no evidence against him and that the case is a conspiracy to silence him.

Why this matters: The high-profile case against Andrew Tate, who has amassed millions of followers on social media, is seen as a test for Romania's anti-organized crime prosecuting unit. The outcome of the trial will be closely watched, as it involves a polarizing internet personality facing serious criminal charges related to the exploitation of women.

Prosecutors allege the former kickboxers and internet personalities exploited women to produce pornographic content for social media sites, generating large sums of money. They accuse the Tate brothers of seducing victims by falsely claiming they wanted a relationship or marriage with them, and then subjecting the women to physical violence and mental intimidation to force them to produce the content.

The Tate brothers, who are dual British-U.S. citizens, were previously held for three months in police detention before being moved to house arrest and later restricted to Bucharest Municipality and nearby Ilfov County. They can now travel freely around Romania, but the Bucharest Tribunal has extended geographical restrictions against them, stipulating they cannot leave the country.

In a separate case, the Tate brothers also appeared at the Bucharest Court of Appeal, where British authorities issued arrest warrants over allegations of sexual aggression in a U.K. case dating back to 2012-2015. The appeals court granted the British request to extradite the Tates to the U.K., but only after legal proceedings in Romania have concluded.

The legal case had been stuck in the preliminary chamber stages for months, but the court has now ordered the start of the trial. Tate's spokesperson has said that the ruling will be appealed. Tate has repeatedly claimed that prosecutors in Romania have no evidence against him and believes there is a political conspiracy to silence him.

Key Takeaways

• Andrew Tate to stand trial in Romania on charges of human trafficking, rape, and criminal gang.
• Tate and his brother Tristan arrested in Dec 2022, with two Romanian associates also indicted.
• Case seen as a test for Romania's anti-organized crime unit, with high-profile internet personality involved.
• Prosecutors allege Tates exploited women to produce pornographic content, generating large sums.
• Tates face extradition to UK over sexual aggression allegations, after Romania proceedings conclude.