A Romanian court on Tuesday agreed to extend former kickboxer and social media influencer Andrew Tate’s detention on suspicion of human trafficking, rape and forming an organized crime gang for another 30 days, according to reports.
Tate was arrested on December 29, 2022, with his brother Tristan and two Romanian women after Romanian authorities raided their Bucharest properties and detained them for 24 hours.
Andrew Tate, centre, and his brother Tristan, leave after appearing at the Court of Appeal, in Bucharest, Romania, Tuesday January 10, 2023. Controversial social media personality Andrew Tate arrived at a court in Romania in handcuffs on Tuesday morning to appeal an earlier decision by a judge to extend his period of arrest from 24 hours to 30 days on charges of being part of an organized crime group, human trafficking and rape. (AP Photo/Alexandru Dobre)
As of Tuesday, none of the four detainees have been formally charged.
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The Associated Press reported that a spokesman for Romania’s organized crime agency DIICOT, Romona Bolla, said the prosecutor’s request to continue detaining Tates for another 30 days had been approved by the Bucharest Tribunal. The two Romanian women will be placed under house arrest.
Tuesday’s extension was the third granted since the Tates were arrested in late 2022.
On January 20, a judge ordered the Tates kept behind bars while an investigation into their affairs continued.
Andrew Tate and Tristan Tate are escorted by police officers outside the headquarters of the Directorate for Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism in Bucharest (DIICOT) after being detained for 24 hours, in Bucharest, Romania on December 29, 2022. (Photo Inquam/Octav Ganea via REUTERS)
The AP reported that the judge considered the “particularly dangerous nature of the defendants” and their ability to identify victims “with greater vulnerability, seeking better chances in life,” when deciding to hold the brothers behind bars. .
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The Tates appealed the judge’s decision, but lost on Feb. 1.
A lawyer representing the brothers, Eugen Vidineac, reportedly told reporters ahead of Tuesday’s hearing that the defense would contest an extension, insisting there was not enough evidence to hold his clients in custody.
Andrew Tate also took to Twitter ahead of the decision.
“I can easily think to myself in euphoric gratitude for simple things like having air to breathe,” she said. “I can easily think of myself in the deepest, darkest depression. I have seen hell. I have lived through hell. I can produce both states. Your reality is self-made.”
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Shortly after the judge extended the Tate brothers’ detention, Andrew posted again.
“I will be pondering this decision deeply,” he tweeted.
Tate and his three alleged partners had reportedly been under a criminal investigation since April after they were suspected of being involved in a human trafficking scheme in which at least six women were sexually exploited.
“The four suspects … appear to have created an organized criminal group with the purpose of recruiting, housing and exploiting women by forcing them to create pornographic content intended to be viewed on specialized paid websites,” prosecutors said. “They would have earned significant sums of money.”
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Reports on Friday suggested that Tate’s renewed social media presence on Twitter may have led to his own arrest.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
