Four British women who claim they were raped by Andrew Tate and are bringing a civil case against him have welcomed his arrest for fresh sex allegations.
The group, who cannot be named for legal reasons, say they were victims of self-proclaimed misogynist Tate, 37, while they were working for him and his webcam empire.
Police in Hertfordshire originally investigated the claims – which he has always denied – and he was arrested three times before the case was eventually abandoned.
The women issued a statement after Tate and his brother Tristan, 35, were arrested in the Romanian capital Bucharest on behalf of Bedfordshire police, who are probing new sex assault allegations.
A police officer escorts Andrew Tate, center, handcuffed, from the Court of Appeal in Bucharest, Romania yesterday
Andrew Tate (centre) and his brother Tristan Tate (back right) speak to journalists after having been released from detention in Bucharest, Romania on March 12
Four British women who claim they were raped by Andrew Tate and are bringing a civil case against him have welcomed his arrest for fresh sex allegations
They said: ‘We are four British women bringing a civil case against Andrew Tate in the UK for allegations of rape and assault.
‘We are making this joint statement in response to the news that Tate has been detained in Romania at the request of the UK authorities for extradition to England to face criminal charges.
‘We understand that this extradition request was made because of criminal complaints of sexual assault made by other women, and not because of the complaints we made almost a decade ago.
‘While we welcome the news that the UK authorities have, at last, done the right thing and are seeking to prosecute Tate, we are still disappointed and distressed that the CPS chose not to prosecute Tate in 2019 when it had the chance for the crimes, we allege he committed against us.
‘After a four-year investigation, and despite the Police believing that the evidential test for prosecution had been met, this decision by the CPS allowed Tate to travel to Romania where he has since been charged with human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women.
‘This might not have happened if the CPS had taken our complaints seriously. Last year, we asked the CPS to reconsider its decision. It refused to do so.
‘We must ask, was this a political decision? If the CPS had agreed, how would it then explain to the Romanian authorities that it had effectively let Tate go on to travel to their country to allegedly commit serious criminal offences; leaving Romania to foot the bill for the subsequent investigation and prosecution, which may end costing millions?
‘This is, we believe, a question that the CPS must be asked and should be the subject of an immediate inquiry.
‘The extradition request comes during the week in which a report following an independent examination into how the CPS prosecutes rape will be published.
‘The Guardian has reported that specialist rape lawyers are “obsessed” with credibility of victims and use victim-blaming language. Unfortunately, this mirrors our own experience with the CPS.
‘We are hopeful that the women who are the subject of Tate’s arrest warrant today will have their case handled and prosecuted differently to ours so that they get the justice they deserve.
‘We are thinking of all the women Tate has allegedly hurt since his move to Romania whose suffering might have been prevented if the authorities in the UK had acted sooner.
‘We thank our lawyers, McCue Jury & Partners, who have been campaigning for the UK authorities to prosecute Tate, even if not for the crimes committed against us, and who wrote to the British police last week to urge them to immediately seek a warrant for Tate’s extradition to the UK following rumours of him planning an escape. We will continue to fight for justice.’
On Tuesday the brothers appeared in a Bucharest court after they were arrested by armed police late on Monday night, executing a European Arrest Warrant.
Andrew Tate, 37, and his brother Tristan Tate, 35, have now been released after they were arrested. Pictured outside court yesterday
Romanian authorities said in a statement that they executed ‘two European arrest warrants issued by the UK judicial authorities for the committing of sexual offences, of exploitation of persons on the territory of the UK’
At the hearing the judge ruled they could be extradited but only after their case in Romania on unrelated people trafficking and rape charges is heard first.
Speaking outside court Andrew Tate said: ‘We are very innocent men and in time everybody is going to see that. We are excited to finish this judicial process and clear our names.’
The brothers, who ‘categorically reject all charges’, will remain under judicial controls in Romania which prevent them travelling outside the country.
Lawyers McCue Jury & Partners revealed they had tipped off British and Romanian authorities that Andrew Tate was planning to flee Romania.
The intelligence is thought to have prompted Bedfordshire police to act swiftly and ask Westminster Magistrates Court to issue the European arrest Warrant so the men could be held.
A source told the Mail the information was a video sent to authorities in Britain and Bucharest in which former kickboxer Tate said he ‘planned to leave Romania’.
In the clip, blogger Adin Ross described how he had been in contact with Tate in recent days and had discussed him coming to Romania to film an interview with the multi-millionaire.
Ross told his viewers ‘This is f***ing peaking’ before adding Tate had told him: ‘Hey, I’m going to be leaving Romania soon and never coming back.’
Tate added: ‘So if you want to come and see me it’s basically now or never.’
Self-confessed misogynist appeared on Big Brother in 2016 but was later kicked out after a video emerged of him striking a woman with a belt.
Social commentators and teachers have armed against his brand of extreme masculinity and sexism which has drawn a cult following of millions among young men and schoolboys.
The Tate brothers are currently banned from leaving Romania while being investigated and had been under house arrest since their initial detention in December 2022.
But this condition was later removed on the condition they remain in the country.
A request to leave Bucharest and visit their mother in Luton who had suffered a heart attack was denied at Christmas by officials.
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.’
Former professional kickboxer and social media influencer Andrew Tate (right), followed by his brother Tristan (left), arrives for an appeal against preventive detention at the Bucharest Court of Appeal, in Bucharest, Romania, 1 August 2023
Andrew Tate (pictured) has been arrested in Romania on a UK-issued warrant
In a statement a spokesperson for the brothers described their arrest as ‘bewildering revival of decade-old accusations has left the Tate brothers dismayed and deeply troubled.’
It went on:’They categorically reject all charges and express profound disappointment that such serious allegations are being resurrected without substantial new evidence.’
Their lawyer Eugen Vidineac said:’ We appreciate the Bucharest Court of Appeal’s decision to postpone the extradition of Andrew and Tristan Tate.
‘This ruling provides an opportunity for the brothers to participate fully in their defence and for the legal process to proceed in a transparent manner.
‘In response to McCue Jury’s statement accusing our clients of planning to flee Romania, we unequivocally deny any accusations that Andrew or Tristan Tate intends to abscond from Romania to evade the judicial proceedings.
‘Our clients are fully committed to actively participating in the legal process and defending their reputation.
‘We believe this rumour has originated from a popular online influencer who misconstrued a text message from our clients while streaming live. There is simply no truth to it.’
Both men were later released and allowed home and pictured smiling and waving as they were driven away.
- The women are crowdfunding their civil case via a donations page: www.crowdjustice.com/case/hold-andrew-tate-accountable