Influencer Andrew Tate charged with rape and human trafficking in Romania
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Andrew Tate has been charged with rape, human trafficking and forming an organised crime group to sexually exploit women.
The controversial influencer has been charged in Romania alongside his brother Tristan and two unnamed associates, with all four individuals denying the charges.
The Tate brothers had been arrested in December of last year at their home in Bucharest before being moved from custody into house arrest on March 31.
Roman prosecutors agreed to send the four suspects to trial, with a date yet to be set at this time, although it is expected that the trial will last several years.
An indictment handed to the Bucharest court says the four defendants organised a criminal organisation in 2021 to commit human trafficking in Romania.
The document also states their alleged trafficking was carried out in other parts of the world including the UK and the United States.
Seven alleged victims were named in the documents, which alleges the Tate brothers recruited them through false promises of love and marriage.
Andrew Tate was charged with raping one of the victims while his brother Tristan has been charged with instigating others to violence.
A Romanian judge has 60 days to inspect the case files before it can be sent to trial.
Authorities say they have seized 15 buildings and pieces of land, 15, luxury cars, 14 luxury watches, two ingots and a medal as part of their investigation into the four individuals.
A statement from Romania's Directorate for the Investigation of Organised Crime and Terrorism revealed they had also seized more than $300million in Bitcoin from cryptocurrency wallets belonging to the Tate brothers.
The former kickboxer and his brother were taken into custody on December 29 last year, and were moved to house arrest in March of this year.
Farah Nazeer, chief executive of Women's Aid, said: “Today, Andrew Tate has been charged with rape, human trafficking and forming an organised crime group to sexually exploit women.
“These are incredibly serious accusations and we will follow this trial as it continues to develop. From our experience of working with survivors of domestic abuse, we know the vital importance that being believed has when it comes to supporting survivors and working towards bringing perpetrators to justice.
“As we await the outcome of this trial, it is important to remember the work that still lies ahead of all of us when it comes to calling out dangerous and misogynistic views, like those perpetrated by social media influencers like Andrew Tate.
"Our thoughts are with the seven alleged victims who have bravely come forward to detail their experiences with Andrew Tate and his brother, also standing accused on the same charges.”
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