Andrew Tate’s House Arrest Extended in Romania as Human Trafficking Case Continues
Andrew Tate, the controversial social media personality and former professional kickboxer, will remain under house arrest in Romania as a court has extended the measure by an additional 30 days. Tate was charged this week with rape, human trafficking, and involvement in a criminal gang dedicated to the sexual exploitation of women.
The decision to extend the house arrest was made by the Bucharest Tribunal following the formal indictment of Tate by Romania’s anti-organized crime agency, DIICOT. The agency had filed its criminal investigation with a Bucharest court, leading to the charges against the 36-year-old social media star. His brother, Tristan, as well as two Romanian women, are also facing charges in the case.
All four defendants will remain under house arrest for the next 30 days, as ruled by the court. However, there is a possibility to appeal the decision within 48 hours.
DIICOT, which alleged that the defendants formed a criminal group in 2021 for the purpose of human trafficking in Romania, the United States, and Britain, has stated that there are seven female victims involved in the case. These women were reportedly deceived with false promises of love and then transported to Romania, where they were subjected to sexual exploitation and physical violence by the gang. One of the defendants is accused of raping a woman twice in March 2022. According to prosecutors, the women were controlled through intimidation, constant surveillance, and false claims of indebtedness.
Although Romanian law grants judges 60 days to decide whether a case should proceed to trial, the process often takes longer.
Andrew Tate, who has gained notoriety for expressing misogynistic views and hate speech online, has a large following of nearly 7 million Twitter users. He was initially arrested near Bucharest in late December, along with his brother, and spent three months in police detention before being granted house arrest following a successful appeal.
Tate has consistently maintained his innocence and has accused prosecutors of lacking evidence, claiming that there is a political conspiracy to silence his views. In a video posted on his Twitter account, he referred to the charges against him as a “level 10 matrix attack” and asserted that he was being targeted without evidence.
Apart from the criminal case in Romania, several women in Britain are pursuing civil claims against Tate, seeking damages for alleged sexual violence.
During the course of their investigations, prosecutors have ordered the seizure of assets belonging to the Tate brothers, including 15 luxury cars, luxury watches, and approximately $3 million worth of cryptocurrency.