Influencer Andrew Tate indicted in Romania for trafficking women
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The Romanian prosecutors have once again set the pace in the fight against human trafficking and sexual abuses in the country.
Four (4) people have been charged by the Romanian prosecutors and are to face some alleged crimes ranging from rape, sexual violence and human trafficking.
Romanian prosecutors on Tuesday charged U.S.-British social media influencer Andrew Tate, who has gained millions of fans by promoting an ultra-masculine lifestyle, with human trafficking, rape and forming a gang to sexually exploit women.
Tate was indicted with his brother Tristan and two Romanian female suspects. They are under house arrest pending an investigation into abuses against seven women whom prosecutors say were lured through false claims of relationships.
The Tate brothers have denied all allegations leveled against them, although their innocence will only be proven in court once the proceedings begin.
Be that as it may, the four suspects were held in police custody from Dec. 29 until March 31 before a Bucharest court put them under house arrest, which prosecutors on Tuesday sought to extend. A judge is to determine whether their house arrest should be extended for another 30 days on Wednesday or to grant them other lighter measures.
Under the Romanian law, a Bucharest court is to review the case to know if it can go ahead with the case within 60 days.
Trafficking of adults carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years, as does rape.
Prosecutors also said they were investigating the four suspects in a separate ongoing case on allegations of money laundering, witness tampering, and child and adult trafficking.
The indictment also sought the confiscation of property, luxury watches, cash and cryptocurrency seized by prosecutors during the investigation.
"I'm sure this case has absolutely nothing to do with stealing my wealth," Andrew Tate tweeted sarcastically.
According to the prosecutors, one of the ways the Tate brothers used to lure their victims is by seducing them and falsely claiming to want a relationship or marriage.
The Romanian law enforcement agencies have been in the business of prosecuting sex and labour traffickers. For instance, Romania's anti-organized crime prosecuting unit DIICOT, last year investigated 458 new trafficking cases and convicted 138 sex and labour traffickers.
The above statistics of investigated and convicted traffickers shows that the country is totally against the crime and will do well to bring justice to the victims of the accused Tate brothers if found guilty of the crimes.
References:
- https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/romanian-prosecutors-send-andrew-tate-trial-human-trafficking-2023-06-20/
- https://www.npr.org/2023/06/20/1183176707/andrew-tate-indicted-human-trafficking-rape-romania
- https://www.marca.com/en/lifestyle/celebrities/2023/06/20/6491b846268e3eed558b45b2.html
- https://abcnews.go.com/International/andrew-tate-charged-rape-human-trafficking-romanian-officials/story?id=100227330