Police Raid Andrew Tate’s Home Amid Investigation of Allegations Involving Minors

Police have launched fresh raids at the home of controversial influencer Andrew Tate, who is currently facing trial on serious charges including human trafficking, rape, and the formation of a criminal gang aimed at sexually exploiting women.

On Wednesday morning, numerous masked officers descended on Tate’s residence in Romania, where he lives with his brother, Tristan Tate. The operation was part of an investigation carried out by Romania’s anti-organized crime agency, DIICOT, which is scrutinizing multiple properties in Bucharest and the surrounding Ilfov county.

The agency is probing various allegations, including human trafficking, exploitation of minors, sexual intercourse with a minor, manipulation of statements, and money laundering.

Mateea Petrescu, the spokesperson for the Tates, commented on the raids. While noting that the details of the charges in the search warrant remain unclear, he acknowledged that they involve allegations of human trafficking and money laundering. However, he did not address the claims regarding minors.

Forensic teams and police officers were seen thoroughly searching the expansive property located on the outskirts of Bucharest.

In a statement, DIICOT emphasized that throughout the investigation, all individuals involved are entitled to their legal rights and the presumption of innocence as stipulated by the Code of Criminal Procedure.

The Tate brothers, both former kickboxers and dual citizens of the UK and the US, were arrested near Bucharest in 2022 along with two Romanian women. In the following months, Romanian prosecutors formally charged all four individuals with human trafficking, rape, and forming a criminal gang aimed at sexual exploitation. Both brothers have denied these allegations.

In April, the Bucharest Tribunal determined that the prosecution’s case met the necessary legal standards for a trial to commence, although it did not set a specific trial date. This decision came after an extensive preliminary phase during which the defendants were able to dispute the evidence presented by the prosecution.

Following their arrest in 2022, the Tate brothers remained in police detention for three months before being placed under house arrest. They were initially restricted to the Bucharest and Ilfov regions before being confined to all of Romania.

Last month, a court overturned an earlier ruling that permitted the Tate brothers to exit Romania while awaiting trial. The initial decision, made on July 5, allowed them to leave the country as long as they remained within the European Union. This later ruling was deemed final.

Known for his provocative and misogynistic comments, Andrew Tate has garnered a following of 9.9 million on the social media platform X. Despite facing serious allegations, he has consistently claimed that there is a lack of evidence against him and has alleged that a political conspiracy is at play to silence his voice.

Although Tate has been previously banned from several social media platforms for his misogynistic views and hate speech, he was recently reinstated on X by the new owner, Elon Musk.

In March, both Andrew and Tristan Tate appeared before the Bucharest Court of Appeal in a separate legal matter arising from British authorities’ warrants for alleged sexual aggression in a case dating back to 2012-2015. The court agreed to the UK’s request for extradition, but only after the ongoing legal proceedings in Romania are resolved.

Source: various