Misogynistic influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan are under investigation on more serious charges of human trafficking, Romanian prosecutors announced today.
Officials said the couple, along with two other Romanian suspects, are now under ongoing investigation for human smuggling, saying it is a more serious crime than the separate smuggling charges.
The brothers, along with Luana Radu and Georgiana Naghel, are currently under house arrest pending criminal investigation on suspicion of human trafficking, rape and the formation of a criminal gang to sexually exploit women.
All four have denied the allegations.
Under Romanian law, prosecutors have brought charges against the four suspects, but the case is under investigation and has yet to go to trial. Prosecutors are expected to send them to trial later in June.
Notorious misogynist Andrew Tate (pictured in April) and his brother Tristan are under investigation on more serious charges of human trafficking, Romanian prosecutors said today.
Officials said the brothers (pictured together on April 21 in Bucharest), along with two other female suspects, are now under ongoing investigation for human trafficking, saying it was a more serious offense than the separate charges of treats.
The four were in police custody from December 29 to March 31, when a Bucharest court placed them under house arrest.
On Tuesday, Romania’s DIICOT organized crime prosecution unit notified the Tate brothers that the human trafficking charge had been changed to continuous trafficking, a DIICOT spokesman said.
Under Romanian law, trafficking in adults carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years.
One more alleged victim was added to the case, which began with six women, the spokesperson said.
The Tate brothers’ legal team said Tuesday’s changes were in the “legal interest” of the suspects. “The legal framework has been reviewed and altered to ensure that an impartial investigation is maintained,” they said in a statement.
“The brothers and their legal team believe that today’s hearing demonstrates that their legal rights are respected and that steps are being taken to ensure an objective investigation. They will continue to work with authorities to prove his innocence and restore his reputation,” the statement added.
DIICOT prosecutors also said they had opened a separate criminal investigation against a Romanian man close to the Tate brothers on allegations of human trafficking and forming a criminal group to sexually exploit seven women.
Prosecutors have said that Vlad Obuzic, whose social media platforms display photos of him with the Tate brothers, and two other suspects recruited their alleged victims by seducing them and falsely claiming they wanted a relationship or marriage.
The alleged victims were then forced to produce pornographic content for social networking sites, with the suspects pocketing most of the profits.
“To guarantee the loyalty of the victims and that they will act only for the benefit of the members of the group, they were forced to tattoo the name or face of the member of the group that exploited them,” the prosecution said in a statement.
Like Andrew Tate, Obuzic practices kickboxing. In the same vein as Tate, he cultivates an ultra-macho image online, posing with women, fast cars and luxury properties.
Romanian news outlet Gandul reported in January that Obuzic, in a video posted online, bragged about the bruises on his girlfriend’s body.
Andrew Tate gave an interview to the BBC from his home in Romania earlier this month.
News of the changed charges against Andrew Tate and his associates came a week after a fourth British woman claimed she was sexually assaulted by the influencer, alleging he strangled her unconscious.
The 30-year-old joined a civil lawsuit for damages against Tate after three other women said in April they intended to sue.
The woman, who was a 20-year-old university student at the time of the allegations in 2014, said she met Tate on a night out in her hometown of Luton, Bedfordshire.
She said that they had consensual sex, but this turned violent when Tate strangled her, and when she woke up, he was still having sex with her, to which she did not consent.
The woman told BBC Newsnight that this was her second meeting with Tate. A few months earlier they had consensual sex.
He said that while they were having sex on their second meeting, Tate put his hand to his throat and “choke” me until he passed out, and that when he regained consciousness “it was a little confusing at first,” and he “was still having sex with me’.
The woman also said Tate subjected her to violent threats, including one to kill her, adding: “He kept saying, ‘I own you, you belong to me.'”
“Throughout the night he was pretty aggressive and saying horrible things.”
The Tate siblings (seen handcuffed together), Luana Radu and Georgiana Naghel (right) arrive at the Bucharest Court of Appeal on February 27.
Romanian police officers wait to enter the residence of Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan, on the outskirts of Bucharest, Romania, to check if they are present on April 1.
A Lamborghini seized in the case against Tate is towed away in Bucharest on January 14.
A Tate spokesman insisted that all sexual acts he was involved in were consensual and that he does not condone violence towards women.
The woman did not report the incident to police at the time, saying she only realized she had been sexually assaulted about six years later when she described what had happened to her friends.
She has now joined three other British women in their 20s and 30s in their civil suit for damages against Tate.
They all say they were victims of sexual violence by Tate between 2013 and 2016, when he lived in the UK.
I am Rakesh Sharma, I associated with Elite News as an Editor, since 2021. I take care of all the news operations like content, budget, hiring and policy making.