Current:Home > reviewsAndrew Tate's trial on rape and human trafficking charges can begin, Romania court rules -CoinMarket
Andrew Tate's trial on rape and human trafficking charges can begin, Romania court rules
View
Date:2025-04-12 12:00:32
Bucharest, Romania — A court in Romania's capital on Friday ruled that a trial can start in the case of influencer Andrew Tate, who is charged with human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women. The Bucharest Tribunal ruled that prosecutors' case file against Tate met the legal criteria but did not set a date for the trial to begin.
Tate's spokesperson, Mateea Petrescu, said the ruling had been appealed.
Tate, 37, was arrested in December 2022 near Bucharest along with his brother, Tristan Tate, and two Romanian women. Romanian prosecutors formally indicted all four in June last year. They have denied the allegations.
"The ruling issued by the preliminary chamber judge lacks legal basis and reasoning," Eugen Vidineac, one of the brothers' lawyers, said after the decision. "We have filed a strong appeal as we believe the ruling to be unlawful."
Ahead of the court's decision Friday, the legal case had been discussed for months in the preliminary chamber stages, a process in which the defendants can challenge prosecutors' evidence and case file.
"We reassert our belief in the fairness of the arguments we presented during the preliminary hearing and in the memoranda concerning the legality of the criminal investigation," said Ioan Gliga, another lawyer for the Tates. "Although they did not receive the necessary attention in the preliminary hearing, we are confident that the appeal court judge panel will support us."
Andrew Tate, who has amassed 9.1 million followers on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, has repeatedly claimed that prosecutors in Romania have no evidence against him and that there is a political conspiracy to silence him.
Tate was previously banned from various prominent social media platforms for expressing misogynistic views and for hate speech. Both Tates are dual British-U.S. citizens.
Last month, the Bucharest Tribunal extended geographical restrictions against Tate, a former professional kickboxer, stipulating he cannot leave the country. Tate had requested that he be able to travel within the European Union with the prior approval of a judge.
After the Tate brothers' arrest, they were held for three months in police detention before being moved to house arrest. They were later restricted to Bucharest Municipality and nearby Ilfov County, but can now travel freely around Romania.
Also last month, the Tate brothers appeared at the Bucharest Court of Appeal in a separate case, after British authorities issued arrest warrants over allegations of sexual aggression in a U.K. case dating back to 2012-2015.
The appeals court granted the British request to extradite the Tates to the U.K., but only after legal proceedings in Romania have concluded.
- In:
- Andrew Tate
- Rape
- Women
- Social Media
- Human Trafficking
- Crime
veryGood! (2691)
Related
- Dick Vitale announces he is cancer free: 'Santa Claus came early'
- Brett Favre to appear before US House panel looking at welfare misspending
- Court rules nearly 98,000 Arizonans whose citizenship hadn’t been confirmed can vote the full ballot
- 11-year-old charged after police say suspicious device brought on school bus in Maine
- New data highlights 'achievement gap' for students in the US
- A man is fatally shot by officers years after police tried to steer him away from crime
- Illinois upends No. 22 Nebraska in OT to stay unbeaten
- Deadly violence on America's highways wreaks fear, havoc, and frustration
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- DNA match leads to arrest in 1988 cold case killing of Boston woman Karen Taylor
Ranking
- Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow owns a $3 million Batmobile Tumbler
- A man is fatally shot by officers years after police tried to steer him away from crime
- Federal authorities subpoena NYC mayor’s director of asylum seeker operations
- 'Marvel at it now:' A’ja Wilson’s greatness on display as Aces pursue WNBA three-peat
- Hackers hit Rhode Island benefits system in major cyberattack. Personal data could be released soon
- Friends Creators Address Matthew Perry's Absence Ahead of Show's 30th Anniversary
- Elle King says she didn't want 'to hurt' dad Rob Schneider after speaking 'her truth'
- Secret Service report details communication failures preceding July assassination attempt on Trump
Recommendation
How to watch the 'Blue Bloods' Season 14 finale: Final episode premiere date, cast
Lindsay Lohan's Rare Photo With Husband Bader Shammas Is Sweeter Than Ice Cream
The politics of immigration play differently along the US-Mexico border
Inter Miami's goals leader enjoys title with Leo Messi on his tail before NYCFC match
Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
Jelly Roll makes 'Tulsa King' TV debut with Sylvester Stallone's mobster: Watch them meet
See Khloe Kardashian’s Delicious Chocolate Hair Transformation
Man accused in shootings near homeless encampments in Minneapolis