Influencer Andrew Tate under fire for rape, assault and explicit statements

Social media influencer Andrew Tate has been accused of rape and strangulation by two British women. They say he attacked them and sent them a series of disturbing text messages in which he claimed to have “enjoyed” the women’s discomfort. Andrew Tate and brother Tristan have been charged in Romania for alleged human trafficking and sexual exploitation; both brothers face prison sentences of more than a decade if convicted.

Rape and strangulation are among the allegations.

Two women have described their traumatic encounters with Andrew Tate in a recent BBC interview. One woman recalled the terrifying encounter in 2013 when Tate allegedly said something astonishing to her: he was considering raping her. He grabbed her by the throat, threw her on the bed, strangled her and then sexually assaulted her. Tate sent disturbing messages afterward, including voice notes that mentioned sexual assault.

Although she reported the incident to Bedfordshire Police in 2014, the case was closed in 2019 due to lack of evidence.

Another woman told a similar story. She recounted a violent attack in which Tate allegedly choked her, knocking her unconscious and leaving her eyes bloodshot. Unlike the previous woman, she did not report the attack to the police.

New accusation against Tristan Tate

A British woman, who had previously been in a relationship with him, came forward to say that he had raped her in Bucharest after she had accepted an offer to work in the Tate brothers’ webcam business. She described it as a world of control and manipulation; Tristan, she said, attacked her despite her repeated “no.” This woman never went to the police.

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Introduction to Tate Brothers Legal Issues

The two brothers, aged 37 and 36 respectively, were under house arrest in Romania awaiting charges for alleged human trafficking and setting up an organised group for the purpose of sexually exploiting women. Andrew Tate was also accused of rape. They both denied all charges. Their legal troubles are even more international as the two men are facing extradition proceedings in the UK for alleged rape and human trafficking between 2012 and 2015. He also faces a case in the UK High Court brought by four women, who have accused Andrew Tate of rape and sexual assault. Both brothers are also taking legal action over unpaid taxes on their online businesses.

A broader context

The exploitation and trafficking charges against Andrew and Tristan Tate date back more than a decade, to at least their time in the United Kingdom. Andrew first gained notoriety for a series of controversial social media posts in the mid-2010s, in which he bragged about his misogynistic views and lavish lifestyle. At the center of the brothers’ criminal case in Romania is their webcam business, which prosecutors allege was a vehicle used to traffic women. Though both brothers profess their innocence, the mounting accusations and lawsuits have cast a shadow over their public image, with victims coming forward to tell their stories of abuse and exploitation.

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