The trial of Andrew Tate, the social media influencer accused of human trafficking, rape, and forming a prison gang to sexually exploit ladies, can go forward, a court docket in Romania has mentioned.
Friday’s ruling by a court docket in Bucharest comes virtually 10 months since he and his brother Tristan have been first charged – and might be appealed.
The Bucharest Tribunal mentioned that the prosecutors’ case file towards Tate met the authorized standards however didn’t set a date for the trial to start.
One of many brothers’ legal professionals, Eugen Vidineac, mentioned the court docket’s determination “lacks authorized foundation and reasoning” and has filed an attraction.
The 37-year-old influencer was arrested in December 2022 close to the Romanian capital alongside along with his brother and two Romanian ladies.
The 4 were charged in June final 12 months. The siblings deny all of the allegations towards them.
Read more: Who is Andrew Tate, the self-styled ‘king of toxic masculinity’?
The pair, who reside in Romania, have been first arrested in a property in Bucharest in December 2022 and held in custody till March 2023 once they have been launched beneath home arrest.
Below Romanian legislation, the Bucharest court docket’s preliminary chamber wanted to examine the case information and proof to make sure legality. With that course of accomplished, the prison trial can begin.
In March, a Romanian court docket accepted a request from Britain to extradite the Tate brothers on allegations of sexual
aggression courting again to 2012-15, however solely after the completion of Romanian trial proceedings.
Andrew Tate (L) and his brother Tristan have each been charged. Pic: AP
The Tate brothers are each former kickboxers with twin US and British citizenship.
Romanian prosecutors have mentioned they recruited their victims by seducing them and falsely claiming to need a relationship or marriage.
The victims have been then taken to properties outdoors the town, and thru bodily violence and psychological intimidation have been sexually exploited by being pressured to supply pornographic content material for social media websites that generated massive sums of cash, prosecutors mentioned.
Tate gained hundreds of thousands of followers by selling an ultra-masculine life-style that critics say denigrates ladies, although he has denied holding misogynistic views.