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Former skilled kickboxer and social media influencer Andrew Tate is escorted by Romanian cops exterior of the Courtroom of Enchantment constructing after a listening to in Bucharest, Romania, in January. On Wednesday, he and his brother have been ordered by a Romanian court docket to be held an extra 30 days, by means of late April, as investigators look into intercourse trafficking allegations. Picture by Robert Ghement/EPA-EFE
March 22 (UPI) — Social media influencer and former skilled kickboxer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan will stay in custody in Romania for a fourth month as investigators look into allegations of intercourse trafficking, a court docket dominated Wednesday.
The Romanian court docket prolonged the Tate brothers’ detention for a fourth time, by means of late April, their authorized workforce confirmed Wednesday as they introduced plans to attraction the choice. Beneath Romanian legislation, the lads may be held as much as six months.
The Tate brothers, who’re each British-U.S. residents, and two Romanian ladies have been held in detention since December after they have been arrested in Bucharest on suspicion of organized crime, human trafficking and rape. None have been charged and all 4 have denied the accusations.
Romania’s anti-organized crime company DIICOT alleges the six victims within the human trafficking case have been subjected to “acts of bodily violence and psychological coercion” along with being sexually exploited by the group for a paid pornography service on social media platforms.
The choose within the closed court docket in Bucharest addressed the brothers immediately throughout Wednesday’s listening to to solicit their response to the prosecution’s declare that they have been a flight threat. Legal professionals for the brothers argued prosecutors had offered no new proof and instructed their purchasers’ notoriety performed a task within the determination to maintain them in custody.
Andrew Tate has lived in Romania since 2017. He has been banned from a number of social media platforms for misogyny and hate speech.
Wednesday’s ruling is the fourth time the court docket has prolonged the brothers’ detention as investigators collect proof towards them. Andrew Tate has misplaced three appeals associated to his jail keep.
In line with the brothers’ spokeswoman, the continued detention had “irreparably harmed” their picture and “would take years to rebuild their repute,” Mateea Petrescu stated Wednesday.
The choice to increase their detainment comes days after the court docket denied the brothers’ request to be launched on bail. The brothers are interesting that call as nicely.