Andrew Tate, a controversial internet influencer, has won an appeal in Romania to be released from house arrest. He is facing charges of rape, human trafficking, and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women. The Bucharest Court of Appeal ruled that Tate can’t leave the country and must stay away from the other defendants, witnesses, and alleged victims and their immediate families.
Tate’s spokesperson, Mateea Petrescu, expressed confidence in more favorable developments after this decision. In June, prosecutors formally indicted Andrew Tate, his brother Tristan, and two Romanian women in the same case. The four were arrested near Bucharest in late December and have denied the allegations against them.
The court’s decision imposes geographical restrictions on all four defendants, confining them to Bucharest Municipality and the nearby Ilfov County, unless they receive prior approval from a judge. If they violate these obligations, they could be returned to house arrest or preventive arrest.
Andrew Tate, who holds both UK and US citizenship, has a large following on social media and has been accused of peddling conspiracy theories online. He has repeatedly claimed that prosecutors lack evidence against him and that there is a political conspiracy aimed at silencing him.
According to Romania’s anti-organized crime agency, DIICOT, the defendants formed a criminal group in 2021 to commit human trafficking in Romania, the United States, and Britain. DIICOT alleges that seven female victims were lured under false pretenses of love and then subjected to sexual exploitation and physical violence in Romania. One defendant is accused of raping a woman twice in March 2022. The women were allegedly controlled through intimidation, constant surveillance, and claims of indebtedness.
Andrew Tate has a history of making hate speech and misogynistic comments, leading to his banning from several social media platforms. In Britain, several women are pursuing civil claims against Tate, seeking damages for sexual violence.
During the investigation, prosecutors have seized the Tate brothers’ assets, including 15 luxury cars, luxury watches, and approximately $3 million in cryptocurrency.