DISGRACED Andrew Tate has been freed from house arrest and is now free to go anywhere in Romania – but what does the shock decision actually mean?
Andrew, aged 38, is currently dealing with serious accusations of rape as well as charges related to trafficking, together with his brother Tristan. The two of them are still being looked into by authorities.
The former kickboxer has been locked up in his home for the past five months but his spokesperson today announced he is partially free.
The terms of the crucial legal decision mean Andrew must remain in Romania under judicial control on probation.
He must also check in periodically with cops and is banned from contacting other witnesses or suspects as the trial continues.
Andrew has dismissed the case as a “set up” and the brothers have always denied the allegations against them.
But the lifting of the house arrest has left the Brit-born American gleefully celebrating the initial victory.
In response to The Sun’s breaking story, Andrew posted on X saying: “Hangs by a thread. Its already over.”
Before later claiming: “MATRIX ATTACK.”
His joy comes as a police source in Romania told The Sun Online they fear the case appears to be “sinking”.
The situation involving the Tate brothers is considered to be extremely sensitive by the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT). It is viewed as one of the most delicate cases in the past ten years.
DIICOT is a Romanian government agency which specialises in serious criminal cases such as the Tate’s.
Andrew boasts over 10 million followers on social media but regularly makes controversial posts and comments online.
Masquerading as lifestyle advice, much of the content is considered highly sexist and is seen by some as promoting violence against women.
His influence has worryingly spread among young men and boys, with one UK MP even saying he is “brainwashing” children.
The police source says this influence poses a direct problem for DIICOT as his notoriety provides a challenge rarely seen in a Bucharest court.
It is a crucial case and if it collapses, it will be a major blow
police source
Despite initial expectations of prosecutors having substantial evidence against the Tate siblings and a strong case, the source revealed that as of now, the case seems to be weakening and losing momentum.
“These decisions of the judges seriously question the credibility of the evidence gathered by the prosecutors in the Tate brothers file.
“It is a crucial case and if it collapses, it will be a major blow.”
Despite the fears, prosecutors still believe they have a strong case against Andrew and Tristan.
The decision of the judges in Bucharest over the house arrest is still yet to be finalised with DIICOT having 48 hours to lodge an appeal.
Since the ruling was made earlier today, they are yet to make any official statement – including if they plan to launch an appeal.
If the appeal is successful then Andrew could be again placed under house arrest.
This legal case first began back in December 2022 when Andrew and his brother Tristan were sensationally detained by cops.
It was the second criminal investigation launched by prosecutors against the Tate brothers, as well as four other suspects.
It involved allegations of trafficking of minors, sexual intercourse with a minor and money laundering.
They spent three months in prison before being moved to house arrest in August.
Cops later restricted their movement to only in Bucharest city and nearby Ilfov county before extending it to within Romania.
Even with Andrew being moved to judicial control he is still facing the allegations against him, which he denies.
The case is set to continue with DIICOT still seeking prison time should a court agree with their findings in the future.
Hangs by a thread. Its already over
Andrew Tate
Andrew’s house arrest ruling is the second recent victory for the Tate brothers.
An appeals court ruled back in December, in a different case, the brothers would no longer be due to face trial in a human trafficking case.
Andrew and Tristan were accused of human trafficking and forming an organised group to sexually exploit women.
They deny these allegations too.
The case was sent back to prosecutors by the Court of Appeals in Bucharest for the second time as they said it couldn’t proceed in its current form.
Prosecutors must now decide whether to bring forth new evidence to back up the charges or amend them.
TATE ARREST TIMELINE
BY Henry Holloway
ANDREW and Tristan Tate were arrested in December 2022 and later charged with human trafficking, rape, and forming an organised crime group to sexually exploit women.
Here is a timeline of everything that’s happened since they were nicked:
DECEMBER 29, 2022: The brothers are detained in Romania for 30 days, along with two women, on suspicion of human trafficking, rape, and forming an organised crime group.
JANUARY 3, 2023: Romanian authorities seize Andrew’s luxury car collection.
JAN 8, 2023: A cryptic tweet is posted to Andrew Tate’s account which reads: “The Matrix has attacked me. But they misunderstand, you cannot kill an idea. Hard to Kill.”
JAN 10, 2023: Andrew appears in court in Bucharest to appeal his detention but the judge rules against him.
MARCH 31, 2023: The Bucharest Court of Appeal rules against a judge’s decision to extend Andrew’s incarceration for a fourth time; Andrew is placed on house arrest.
JUNE 20, 2023: The brothers are formally charged with human trafficking, rape, and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women.
JULY 13, 2023: The Tates launch a $5million lawsuit against a Florida woman who they say falsely accused them of imprisoning her in Romania – which led to their arrest there on human trafficking charges.
AUGUST 4, 2023: Andrew wins an appeal to be released from house arrest in Romania as he awaits trial on charges of human trafficking.
DECEMBER 11, 2023: A judge denies the Tate brothers’ appeals to have £10million worth of assets returned to them.
JANUARY 8, 2024: The Bucharest Court of Appeal overturns the decision; the brothers are to have their assets returned to them.
MARCH 12, 2024: Both brothers are arrested in Romania over allegations of sexual aggression in the UK that date back to 2012 and 2015. They deny the allegations.
MARCH 22, 2024: The brothers lost their appeal to get back £10million worth of assets seized by cops.
APRIL 26, 2024: A Romanian court rules that Andrew and Tristan will face trail over ongoing probe into rape and human trafficking.
JULY 5, 2024: Courts rule that Andrew and Tristan can leave Romania – but must stay in the EU.
Additional accusations of rape and human trafficking have also been made against Andrew in the UK.
Police are seeking to extradite the dual UK-US nationals to bring them to trial in Britain.
Cops were investigating claims a 17-year-old girl was trafficked to Britain and forced to “perform sexual acts in order to produce pornographic material”.
Romanian cops also claimed that starting in December 2020 one of the men engaged in “sexual relations” with a 15-year-old.
He again denies any allegations.
Footage back in August showed armed cops storming their Romanian home through the roof after being blocked by “bulletproof doors”.
Masked officers raided the controversial influencer’s home amid the trafficking and sex with a minor probe.
A judge in Bucharest has said that UK extradition request will only be dealt with after the case in Romania is finished.
The brothers have also been accused by officials of tax evasion in the UK.
In December, British cops were allowed to seize more than £2million from the pair.
The brothers failed to pay any tax on £21million in revenue from their online businesses — now held in seven frozen bank accounts.
Andrew said at the time: “This isn’t justice, it’s a co-ordinated attack on those who challenge the system.”
Andrew moved to Romania years ago after first starting a webcam business in the UK.
He initially gained fame after a short-lived appearance on Big Brother.
He was dumped from the reality show after alleged footage of him beating a woman emerged online.
Andrew then built up an image that appealed to teenage boys – creating an online empire that made him one of the most searched people on Google.
His latest stunt has seen him vow to become the next British prime minister after launching several tirades against Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer in recent times.
