Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan are facing new criminal charges in Romania, including sexually exploiting a 17-year-old girl. The charges, brought by Romania's directorate for investigating organised crime and terrorism (DIICOT), allege that the brothers manipulated the teenager into working for their pornography business between 2014 and 2021.
Details of the allegations
According to DIICOT, as reported in The Telegraph, Tristan controlled the victim's webcam account and set financial targets for her to achieve. Through this sexual exploitation, the brothers are said to have obtained approximately £1.1 million. Tristan is also accused of recruiting three other women between 2018 and 2021 using 'the lover boy method', which involves emotional blackmail and lavish gift-giving to coerce alleged victims into sex work.
Additional charges
The brothers face a string of charges from DIICOT, including the illegal sale of supercars, human trafficking, witness intimidation, and money laundering. DIICOT claimed that both brothers threatened, attempted to intimidate, or used offers of 'exorbitant compensations' to get witnesses – including two alleged victims – to withdraw their cooperation. Andrew is also accused of selling five luxury vehicles to customers and companies in the UK, despite the cars being subject to seizure orders.
Pending trial in the UK
The Tates are also pending trial in the UK on 21 charges, including rape and human trafficking, after criminal proceedings against them conclude in Romania. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) confirmed that Andrew faces 10 charges connected to three alleged victims, which include rape, actual bodily harm, human trafficking and controlling prostitution for gain. His brother is charged with 11 counts connected to one alleged victim, similarly including rape, actual bodily harm, and human trafficking.
Legal disputes over victim anonymity
The accusers' names are being withheld from the defendants by Bedfordshire Police, which the Tates' lawyer Sallie Bennett-Jenkins KC has argued against. She stated in written submissions that 'the controversial opinions of the claimants are not a proper basis for denying them basic information about the criminal allegations they face.' In the same submission, she argued that the CPS had made an 'inflated assumption of risk' that the pair would identify complainants on social media, causing them to withdraw. Tom Little KC, representing the CPS and the Chief Constable of Bedfordshire Police, denied this and said the decision not to disclose names was a 'time-limited' one, kept under review until proceedings commence substantively in the UK.
Reinvestigation in Hertfordshire
In March, Hertfordshire Constabulary decided to reinvestigate Andrew Tate for alleged rape and sexual assaults after the case was initially closed in 2019. The force said in a statement: 'We are committed to doing what is right and ensuring that allegations of such a serious nature are properly, thoroughly and fully investigated, no matter how long ago they occurred.'
The brothers have denied all charges and allegations, both in the UK and in Romania.
