Romanian prosecutors sent divisive social media influencer Andrew Tate, his brother Tristan and two other suspects to trial on Tuesday on charges of human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women.
The Tate brothers and two Romanian female suspects are under house arrest pending a criminal investigation for abuses committed against seven women, accusations they have denied.
The four were held in police custody from December 29th, 2022 until March 31st, before a Bucharest court put them under house arrest.
Andrew Tate has also been charged with raping one of the alleged victims, while his brother Tristan has been charged with instigating others to violence.
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The trial will not start immediately.
Under Romanian law, the case gets sent to the court’s preliminary chamber, where a judge has 60 days to inspect the case files to ensure legality.
The Tate brothers are former kickboxers who have US and British nationality and millions of online followers.
According to a translation of the statement, the prosecutors said there were seven female alleged victims, including some who were “misled” by “false claims of marriage and love”.
It said the defendants formed an organised crime group in early 2021 to commit human trafficking in Romania, the UK, the US and other countries.
The alleged victims were later taken to buildings in Ilfov county in Romania where they were intimidated, placed under constant surveillance and control and forced into debt, the statement said.
It is said the defendants then forced them to take part in pornography which was later shared on social media.
One defendant raped an alleged victim twice in March 2022, according to the statement.
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A number of campaign groups have claimed Andrew Tate’s misogynist views make him a danger to young men and boys who see his content online.
Tate, who has lived in Romania since 2017, was previously banned from various social media platforms. - Agencies
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