Andrew Tate Claims Huge Legal Win in Battle for His Freedom
Andrew Tate has had a major win in Romania as he battles for his freedom. He had faced accusations of human trafficking and rape, but prosecutors on Tuesday ruled to change the charges to trafficking in continued form. One more alleged victim was added to the case, bringing the total to seven.
A spokesperson for Andrew and his brother Tristan said in a statement sent to Newsweek: "The legal framework has been revised and altered to ensure an impartial investigation is upheld."
The British-American influencer was arrested in December at his Bucharest compound, along with Tristan and two Romanian women. The brothers were released into house arrest in April after almost three months in jail.
Andrew Tate arrives at the Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) to attend a hearing on April 10, 2023. A hearing in June saw prosecutors change the charges against Tate and his brother, Tristan. Mihai Barbu/AFP
The spokesperson said the "allegations" were changed in their "legal interest."
"The brothers and their legal team consider today's hearing proves their legal rights are respected and necessary steps are being taken to ensure an objective investigation.
"They will continue to collaborate with authorities to prove their innocence and restore their reputation."
The spokesperson said they would not be commenting further on the specifics from the hearing and advised "the press not to speculate on the content of the hearing and respect the integrity and the confidentiality of this stage of the legal proceedings."
Prosecutors have alleged the four accused, lured women in with the promise of a serious relationship but then coerced them into making pornographic material under the threat of violence.
"To ensure the victims' loyalty and that they will perform only to the benefit of the members of the group, they were forced to tattoo the name or face of the group member exploiting them," prosecutors said in a statement as reported by Reuters.
Tate rose to prominence after appearing as a contestant in the U.K. version of reality TV show Big Brother in 2016.
He became a social media and YouTube influencer, later offering courses in cryptocurrency and also for men to teach them how to lead an "ultra-masculine, ultra-luxurious lifestyle."
Before his arrest he divided his time between Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and his "Hustler's University" compound in Bucharest, where he was arrested in 2022 by Romania's Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism.
In a recent fiery interview with the BBC, Tate told Lucy Williamson how he was "absolutely and utterly sure I'll be found innocent."
"I know the case better than you. I know it intimately and you don't. I have seen all the criminal files and the evidence against me and you haven't. I know the truth of what happened and you don't," he said.
"And I'm telling you absolutely and utterly, I've never hurt anybody, that the case that's been put against me is completely and utterly fabricated and I'm never going to be found guilty of anything."
UPDATE: 6/13/2023, 8:31 a.m. ET. This story was updated with additional information.
Source: Newsweek
