Former MMA fighter turned social media star, Andrew Tate has been charged with human trafficking. Additionally, he is also facing rape and forming a criminal gang to exploit females, according to prosecutors in Romania. Andrew Tate and his brother, Tristian, have also had charges filed against them in Bucharest, Romania.
In addition, two other men have been charged with these charges. All of those accused have denied the allegations.
Originally, the Tate brothers were arrested in December 2022. However, in March a Romanian judge ruled they could be removed from custody and reprimanded to house arrest.
Allegations Against the Men
All four men have been accused of forming an organized criminal gang in 2021. Allegedly, the men used the organization to commit human trafficking in Romania, the United States, and Britain.
The indictment names seven victims who state they were recruited by the Tate brothers. All of the women claim they were lured in by the brothers through false claims of love and marriage.
Afterward, the victims were taken to buildings located in Romania’s Ilfov County. Once there, the women were held captive, placed under continuous surveillance, had every movement controlled, and forced into debt.
The Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism alleged the four defendants forced the victims to take part in pornography. Later these exploitations were shared on social media. Furthermore, one of the defendants has been accused of raping a woman twice. The statement says the rapes occurred in March 2022.
Defense Team
Andrew Tate has resided in Romania since 2017. He has repeatedly claimed the Romanian prosecutors have no evidence. In addition, Tate claims the charges against him are a political conspiracy designed to silence him.
The brothers are prepared to “demonstrate their innocence and vindicate their reputation,” according to Tate’s spokesperson Mateea Petrescu. Their media team added the indictment allowed them, “to present a comprehensive body of evidence, diligently collected and prepared over time, which will undoubtedly substantiate the brothers’ claims of innocence.”
Display of the Chauvinist
“Big Brother (UK)” kicked the former kickboxer off the show in 2016 after a video of him was made public. In the video, Andrew appeared to be attacking a woman. Afterward, he gained online notoriety when Twitter banned him for saying that women should “bear some responsibility” for being sexually assaulted. However, the platform has since reinstated him.
The former fighter has gained major popularity despite being banned across other social media platforms. His hyper-masculine, ultra-luxurious lifestyle has gained the attention of many young men.
In his TikTok post, he emphasizes his beliefs that women are nothing but a man’s property. He says they belong in the home while adding they can’t drive. In some videos, he has been seen acting out what he would do if a girlfriend ever accuses him of cheating. Tate has even gone as far as saying he would “bang out the machete.”
Many domestic abuse charities have described the 36-year-old’s viewpoints as extreme misogyny. Additionally, these charities express concerns over his capabilities of radicalizing men and boys to commit harm offline.
Frozen Assets
The prosecution has ordered the Tate brothers’ assets to be confiscated. This would include roughly $3 million in cryptocurrency, 15 luxury cars, and their luxury watches.
In addition, Tate will soon be facing civil claims from several women in Britain. They are pursuing avenues to obtain damages done to them by the former kickboxer. These women, too, claim to have fallen victim to sexual violence.
The chauvinistic social influencer has denied spreading a culture of misogyny. He claims he never manipulated women for his own financial gain.
A Romanian judge now has 60 days to overlook the case files against the defendants. It could take several years before the women see any justice.
BREAKING: Andrew Tate will face trial on charges of rape, human trafficking and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women, authorities in Romania say. https://t.co/XCKLFXnfJm
— NBC News (@NBCNews) June 20, 2023
By Sheena Robertson
Sources:
ABC News: Social media star Andrew Tate charged with rape and human trafficking in Romania
BBC News: Andrew Tate charged with rape and human trafficking
The Guardian: Inside the violent, misogynistic world of TikTok’s new star, Andrew Tate
Inset Image Courtesy of Patrick Feller‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Featured Image by Fotograf: William Helmert Courtesy of light up!’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
