Controversial influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan will be extradited from Romania to the UK over new charges of sexual aggression from 2012-2015.
Tate rose to fame over his misogynistic commentary on social media.
Extradition is when one country sends a person (currently in their custody) to another country to face criminal prosecution, or to serve a prison sentence.
Background
The Tates were arrested in Romania in December 2022 and were charged with sex trafficking in June 2023.
The brothers and two Romanian women are accused of forming an organised crime group to sexually exploit women.
Romanian prosecutors allege the Tate brothers ‘recruited’ at least seven women who were allegedly subjected to “physical violence and mental coercion” including “constant” surveillance.
Tate is also accused of using “physical violence and mental pressure” to rape one of the women.
Both men deny the charges against them.
The brothers were detained in prison and house arrest for much of 2023, but have been able to move relatively freely around Romania since August.
They must check in regularly with police and can’t leave the country while they await trial.
Andrew Tate’s new charges
This week, British police obtained an international arrest warrant for “two men in their 30s”. A spokesperson for the brothers confirmed these charges were in relation to the Tates and said they “unequivocally deny all allegations”.
The warrant relates to alleged sexual offences between 2012 and 2015 (separate to the charges in Romania).
The brothers were arrested in Romania on behalf of the UK, but will need to be extradited before further legal action can be brought against them.
After they were arrested, the brothers faced the Court of Appeal in Bucharest, the capital of Romania.
The court ruled that the Tate brothers could be extradited to the UK, but not until the Romanian case ends. It’s not clear when that could be.
A spokesperson for the brothers said the UK police had already investigated allegations relating to the charges and had previously decided not to pursue them.
The brothers have now been released from custody as they continue to wait for trial in Romania (for the trafficking charges).
Tate’s response
Tate spoke to the media outside his home in Bucharest, saying: “When you get to a certain level of fame, they go through your entire life forensically and try to destroy you…
“The whole thing is garbage. It’s head-to-toe garbage.”
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