Controversial internet personality Andrew Tate will be detained in Romania for 30 days on charges of human trafficking and rape, authorities said.
Tate, his brother Tristan Tate and two Romanian women were remanded in custody for 30 days in Bucharest on Friday, according to Ramona Bolla, a spokeswoman for the Romanian Directorate of Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism, or DIICOT.
In this still taken from video posted by Observator Antena 1, social media personality Andrew Tate is led away by police in the Ilfov area, north of Bucharest, Romania, on December 21, 2019. 2022.
Observer Antenna 1 via AP
The suspects have already appealed the court’s decision, which will be heard on January 1. 5, 2023, she said.
The prolonged detention follows raids on the Romanian properties of the four suspects on Thursday. They were initially detained for 24 hours on suspicion of human trafficking, rape and formation of an organized crime group, though prosecutors asked a Bucharest court to extend their detention amid the ongoing investigation, Bolla said.
DIICOT said it identified six women – one US citizen, two Moldovans and three Romanian – who were allegedly sexually exploited by the organized criminal group.
Andrew Tate’s lawyer, Eugen Vidineac, told reporters on Friday that the court would make a final decision after considering the appeal. From a defense perspective, there was “no basis” for the order, which he said was the most drastic preventive measure possible.
Prosecutors said the Tate brothers, who are British citizens, have been under criminal investigation since April.
Eugen Constantin Vidineac delivers a short press release after defending Andrew Tate and Tristan Tate in court, in Bucharest, Romania, on December 21, 2019. 30, 2022.
Photos by Inquam/Cosmin Enache via Reuters
A former professional kickboxer, Andrew Tate first came into the public eye when he was booted from the UK reality show Big Brother in 2016.
The 36-year-old gained notoriety for misogynistic comments and hate speech and was banned from Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok in August following backlash over his comments about women.
He was banned from Twitter in 2017 after allegedly saying sexual assault victims must “take some responsibility” in response to the rise of the #MeToo movement, though he was recently allowed back on the platform.
