Former kickboxer turned controversial influencer Andrew Tate has been accused of rape and repeated strangling by two women.
Tate was one of four people arrested in Romania following a police raid in December 2022, as part of an investigation into the abduction of two girls and alleged human trafficking.
Prosecutors told Reuters the arrest was related to a “cam girl” business.
Andrew’s brother, Tristan, was also detained. Since then, Tate’s Bugatti and other cars have reportedly been seized.
Andrew Tate arrested on suspicion of human trafficking, rape and organised crime in connection with cam girl business, prosecutors say – REU
— BNO News (@BNONews) December 30, 2022
In an exclusive Vice report on January 4, it states the 36-year-old was also arrested on suspicion of rape in 2015, with UK authorities declining to prosecute.
The Vice story says: “Two women told VICE World News they were violently abused – one raped, the other repeatedly strangled – by Andrew Tate, and that UK police and the Crown Prosecution Service mishandled their case, leaving him free to rise to global fame on the back of his unchecked misogyny.”
Tate denies rape and assault allegations, with his lawyer saying as much in a statement in Romania.
One of the women in the Vice report said: “When I saw that he was arrested in Romania I was shocked and didn’t know how to react. I cried. Everything I read is what I told the police [at the time of the complaint]. If the CPS had just pulled their finger out, none of this would’ve happened.”
The second said: “[I am] happy something has been done, but not completely hopeful, as he’s walked free from his sexual assaults before.
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“I have been very frustrated by the British police and court system for a long time, they could have stopped him from doing the exact same abuse to these women in Romania.”
Update: January 5
Vice has posted a clip, lasting over six minutes, showing a snippet from their upcoming special report – featuring ‘Sally’ – one woman (real name withheld in order to protect her identity) accusing Tate of sexual and physical abuse.
In the video, she is reduced to tears giving her account, saying: “The first night that I worked for him, Andrew bought me like five bottles of wine, so I got completely drunk because I’ve never done webcam work. I was very nervous.
“Then, that night we were just sitting on the bed, and punched me on my arm… When I came out of the bathroom he was super, super nice. From what I remember, Andrew didn’t have any alcohol at all – it was literally just me. That night, we cuddled and ended up having sex. I was really, really drunk. That was my first night. Then it was like every single night I would work. As soon as he handed me my money, I forgot about him hitting me and everything else.”
Sally says she was paid a flat fee of 15 pounds an hour and was eventually moved into a larger apartment, with other girls working for him.
“I saw him smack girls with a belt,” she said. “He used to strangle us as well.” She goes on to say she watched him rape another woman, and threatened to beat her up.
The Vice special report January 12, 11PM EST, on Vice TV.
The investigation is yet to have reached a conclusion at the time of writing. Therefore, Andrew Tate has not responded to the Vice report or upcoming documentary publicly as he remains in police custody.
