(Bucharest) A twist in the Andrew Tate saga, the Romanian justice system accepted on Thursday the appeal filed by the British influencer, who will therefore not be judged at this stage for human trafficking in an organized gang and rape.
Published at 10:00 a.m.
Updated at 10:43 a.m.
Ani SANDU
Agence France-Presse
The Bucharest Court of Appeal decided to definitively “refer” to the anti-corruption prosecution the indictment which had led to his indictment.
Initially, the court in the Romanian capital announced a trial in the spring without providing a date, but in mid-November the justice system reported “irregularities”. Furthermore, she had “excluded from the evidence” the statements of two alleged victims, due to “procedural violations”.
The defense lawyer, Mr.e Eugen Vidineac immediately hailed “a major legal victory”.
“They threw me in prison, took my money, my cars and the slightest ounce of freedom,” reacted the 38-year-old masculinist influencer, currently under house arrest in a villa near Bucharest for another affair .
“These are nothing but lies and I will fight to the end to prove my innocence,” he added in a statement sent to the media.
According to his brother Tristan, 36, also prosecuted, “the decision to reject the prosecution’s case highlights the fundamental flaws in the evidence presented.”
Tax fraud
The prosecution suspects the two men of having duped several women for the purposes of sexual exploitation.
After their arrest in 2022 in Bucharest, where they have lived for several years, they spent three months in detention before being placed under judicial supervision with a ban on leaving the territory pending their trial.
According to prosecutors, the victims were trapped by the two men who simulated feelings towards them (the so-called “loverboy” method), before being forced “through acts of physical violence and psychological coercion” to produce pornographic films.
Andrew Tate also faces charges of alleged rape.
In another more recent aspect, he is the target of similar allegations concerning minors.
The two brothers are also the subject of accusations of rape and assault in other cases in Great Britain, where they have also been convicted of tax fraud.
A court on Wednesday allowed police to seize more than two million pounds from their accounts. “Pure and simple theft,” accused Andrew Tate.
Romanian justice indicated in March that it was ready to accept their extradition but only after the trial which was to take place in Romania.
Born in the United States in 1986, former professional kickboxing fighter Andrew Tate has lived in the Eastern European country for several years. Before finding himself behind bars, he said he appreciated “the freedom” offered in Romania and “the fact that corruption is accessible to everyone”.
Banned from Instagram and TikTok for misogynistic remarks, he is followed by more than ten million people on the social network luxury.
This fan of Donald Trump gives his advice to men to help them become rich, calling in particular to invest in bitcoin, and promotes masculinist theses. Very often with homophobic, racist, sometimes violent messages against women.
