Andrew Tate and Brother Charged with Rape and Human Trafficking
Today's shocking news is "Andrew Tate and his brother charged with rape and human trafficking". Controversial influencer Andrew Tate has been indicted in Romania on charges of rape, human trafficking, and forming an organized crime group to sexually exploit women.
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| Andrew Tate, right, and his brother Tristan, left, leave a court hearing in Bucharest on April 21, 2023 (Photo: Vadim Ghirda/AP) |
His brother Tristan and two associates also face charges. All denied the allegations.
Andrew Tate and his brother were arrested at his home
Reporting to BBC News on Tuesday, June 20, the Tate brothers were first arrested at their home in Bucharest in December. In March, they were moved to house arrest following a Romanian judge's ruling.
The indictment filed with the Bucharest court said the four defendants formed an organized criminal group in 2021 to carry out human trafficking in Romania, but also in other countries including the US and UK.
It said seven victims were allegedly recruited by the Tate brothers through promises of love and fake marriages.
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According to Romanian prosecutors, victims were allegedly taken to buildings in Romania's Ilfov district where they were intimidated, placed under constant surveillance and control, and forced into debt.
The defendants allegedly then forced the women to take part in pornography which was then shared on social media. According to prosecutors, a defendant is accused of raping a woman twice in March 2022.
The accused also seized assets, including property, cars, and more than £300m (£235m) in cryptocurrencies. The trial will not begin immediately and is expected to take several years.
A Romanian judge now has 60 days to examine the case file before it can be sent to court.
The media team for the Tate brothers said:
"Although this news is undoubtedly predictable, we accept the opportunity it presents to show their innocence and prove their reputation."
It added that the indictment "allows us to present comprehensive evidence, carefully collected and prepared over time, which will undoubtedly support the brothers' claims of innocence".
There are also separate charges still under investigation that could lead to separate charges, including money laundering and trafficking of minors.
In 2016, Andrew Tate, a British-American former kickboxer, was kicked out of the British TV show Big Brother through a video that appeared to show him assaulting a woman.
She later rose to prominence online, with Twitter banning her for saying women should "bear responsibility" for being sexually assaulted. He has been restored since then.
Despite the social media ban, she gained popularity, especially among young men, by promoting what she presented as a very masculine and very luxurious lifestyle.
The news about "Andrew Tate and his brother charged with rape and human trafficking", was indeed shocking to those who knew him.