On Friday, the local court overturned the prosecutor’s request to extend Tate’s pretrial detention until the end of April. Tate is suspected of, among other things, human trafficking and rape.
An influencer known for his misogynistic speeches Andrew Tate has been released from three months of pre-trial detention to house arrest in Romania. The local court overruled the prosecutor’s request to extend Tate’s pretrial detention until the end of April.
Tate was arrested by his brother Tristan Tate with in December in Bucharest, the capital of Romania. Two female Romanian citizens were also arrested at the same time.
They are suspected of human trafficking, rape and the establishment of an organized criminal group.
Tate’s brothers and Romanian women have been forbidden to leave their homes without permission from the authorities. In addition, the suspects are not allowed to have contact with the witnesses of the court case.
According to the Romanian police, the four have been under criminal investigation since April 2022.
According to prosecutors, the purpose of the suspected criminal group was to recruit, house and exploit women by forcing them to produce pornographic content that was intended to be sold online for a fee.
The prosecutors said last December that they have reached six women who are suspected of being exploited by the four.
The suspects have denied the allegations.
Prosecutors have until June to bring the suspects to court
In their previous decisions, Romanian judges have decided to keep the suspects in custody because the risk of their escape was considered too high.
representative of the Romanian Organized Crime Unit Ramona Bollan prosecutors have until the end of June to bring the suspects to court.
British-American Andrew Tate, 36, also known as a former kickboxer, is known on social media for his blatantly misogynistic remarks. His account and channel have been suspended on the most popular social media platforms.
Tate has been living in Romania since 2017. As one of the reasons for living in Romania, he has stated his desire to live in a country where “corruption is within everyone’s reach”.
Sources: Reuters, AFP