Influencer Andrew Tate arrested in Romania, to be extradited to U.K. after trial : NPR

LONDON – Granules images of the Romanian police shows a man nicknamed “king of toxic masculinity“He was arrested in the middle of the night, along with his brother, and then taken in handcuffs to a Bucharest court.

Within hours, a judge on Tuesday approved the extradition of Andrew and Tristan Tate to the United Kingdom, where they face sexual assault charges in a case dating back more than a decade. But the judge said the Tate brothers will not be sent to the UK until they face trial in Romania on separate charges of human trafficking, rape and formation of a criminal group to sexually exploit women.

Andrés Tate, 37 years old, describes himself as a misogynist. He is a British-American social media influencer, entrepreneur and former professional kickboxer who has amassed almost 9 million followers on X, formerly Twitter. Many of them are schoolchildren, something that has happened raised concern among educators around the world.

Several women in different countries have accused Tate of rape, sexual assault, human trafficking and boasting about these crimes on social media. In addition to criminal cases in the UK and Romania, she also faces a separate civil case in the UK.

Tate says he is the victim of a conspiracy against men who embrace their masculinity. It is unclear what charges his brother Tristan faces. Both deny any wrongdoing.

How did Andrew Tate get his online following?

Andrew Tate rose to fame after being eliminated from the British version of the reality show Eldest brother in 2016, after the publication of a video that appeared to show him attacking a woman. He claim the video was edited and amounts to “a total lie to make me look bad.”

Tate has been prohibited from other social media platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube, for posts deemed derogatory to women. The former Twitter briefly banned after she wrote in 2017 that women should take “some responsibility” for being sexually assaulted. Her account has since been restored.

He has also written online descriptions of how he could attack women and criticized people seeking mental health treatment.

While he does not have a TikTok account, videos have been seen with the hashtag #AndrewTate. billions of times on the video platform, making him one of its most viewed figures. The hashtag also includes some videos of people criticizing it.

What is the Romanian case against him?

romanian authorities The Tate brothers were arrested in December 2022 and subsequently placed them under house arrest in the town of Voluntari, on the outskirts of Bucharest. The brothers are accused of exploiting women through an adult content business, which prosecutors say operated as a criminal group. Authorities confiscated 15 luxury cars, 14 designer watches and cash in various currencies. with a total value of almost 4 million dollars.

The fight against organized crime in Romania agency says The Tates and two other defendants subjected their recruits to “acts of physical violence and mental coercion,” sexually exploited them, and forced them to perform in pornography with the intent of obtaining “significant financial benefits.”

In that case, the Tate brothers face charges of being part of an organized crime group, human trafficking and rape. They deny everything. In January, Tate won an appeal challenging the seizure of some of his assets.

On Tuesday, the Romanian appeals court judge ruled that only after Romanian procedures are completed will the Tate brothers be extradited to the UK. It’s unclear how long it might take.

What are the UK cases against you?

In a statement emailed to reporters on Tuesday, a local police force north of London, where Tate used to live, said it had obtained a European arrest warrant.

“As part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of rape and human trafficking, Bedfordshire Police have obtained a European Arrest Warrant for two men aged in their 30s,” it said. “We are working with Romanian authorities as part of this investigation.” That case dates back to the period 2012-2015.

Furthermore, four of Tate’s alleged victims in the United Kingdom have created a crowdfunding site to cover his legal costs in a civil case they are pursuing against him. They had reported Tate to British authorities for alleged sexual violence, but his complaints did not progress to prosecution.

“We filed complaints with the authorities of rape and physical abuse in 2014 and 2015 along with witness testimonies and damning documentary evidence. The CPS [Crown Prosecution Service] “We then decided not to take the matter any further,” his website says. “It is the only avenue left to hold him accountable.”

A law firm representing the alleged victims in the UK civil case, McCue Jury & Partners, He says he contacted the authorities after spotting an online comment suggesting Tate may be preparing to flee Romania and any prosecution there.

That’s what may have led to the Tates’ arrest Monday night.

“We are grateful” that the authorities have taken action,” the firm stated. said Tuesday in a statement.

In response, a spokesperson for Andrew Tate said in a statement cited by the Press Association of Great Britain: “We strongly deny any allegation that Andrew or Tristan Tate intend to flee Romania to evade judicial proceedings.”

“Our clients are fully committed to actively participating in the legal process and defending their reputations,” he said.

The brothers were released immediately after their court appearance Tuesday. They must remain in Romania. The trial date there has not been published.

After his release, Andrew Tate posted an update on X: “Matrix is ​​afraid, but I only fear God.”

“The Matrix” is a term he has used in the past to describe what he considers a conspiracy against him.