Andrew Tate to be extradited to UK on rape and human trafficking allegations
The Tate brothers will remain in Romania until court proceedings against them there are concluded. ITV News Correspondent Lucy Watson reports
Social media influencer Andrew Tate will be extradited to the UK after a British police force secured a European arrest warrant for allegations of rape and human trafficking.
Bedfordshire Police said they are working with authorities in Romania as part of an investigation into the 37-year-old and his 35-year-old brother Tristan.
The pair were detained on Tuesday and appeared at the court of appeal in Bucharest where it was ruled they would be extradited following the conclusion of legal proceedings in Romania.
The allegations, which the two brothers “unequivocally deny”, date back to 2012-2015.
They were released from police custody following the hearing, their representative said.
Speaking to reporters outside court following the ruling, Andrew Tate told reporters he and his brother are “very innocent men”.
He said: “I want to give absolute credit to Romanian justice for making the correct decision today.
“Unfortunately I don’t think many people in Romania understand, but in the West, in the countries that are owned by the satanists, when you get to a certain level of fame you either put on a dress or you go to jail and I’m happy to make my choice which is jail every single time, my soul is not for sale neither are my principles.
“We’re very innocent men and in time everybody’s going to see that. We are excited to finish this judicial process and clear our names.”
In a statement, Bedfordshire Police said: “As part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of rape and human trafficking, Bedfordshire Police has obtained a European arrest warrant for two men in their 30s.
“We are working with authorities in Romania as part of this investigation and will provide an update in due course.
“We understand this is a distressing subject, and people may be impacted by what they are seeing in the news. Bedfordshire Police takes all reports of sexual offences seriously, and further support is available via our website or by calling 101.
“Anyone with information about this specific investigation should call 101, and quote Operation Moonwalk.”
Lawyers representing four women who accuse Tate of rape and sexual assault said they wrote to UK police to request his detention over fears he would flee Romania.
Matthew Jury, managing partner at McCue Jury & Partners, said Andrew Tate had “spread a vast amount of disinformation about the criminal allegations he faces in the UK” since his first arrest in Romania.
In a separate case, the Tate brothers are charged with rape, human trafficking and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women in Romania after being arrested in the country’s capital in December 2022 alongside two Romanian women.
The kickboxer’s representative said the pair “unequivocally deny all allegations”, and are “fully committed to challenging these accusations with unwavering determination and resolve”.
Tate has more than 8.9 million followers on X, while his investment platform The Real World has more than 90,000 subscribers on YouTube.
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