A Romanian appeals court has ruled that the human trafficking case against Andrew Tate, his brother Tristan, and two Romanian women cannot proceed to trial due to multiple legal and procedural irregularities.
The decision, handed down by the Bucharest Court of Appeal, is a significant setback for Romania’s anti-organized crime agency, DIICOT.
Andrew Tate, 38, and his brother Tristan, 36, were arrested two years ago, along with the two women, on charges of human trafficking and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women.
Andrew Tate also faces an additional rape charge. However, the court’s ruling does not mean the defendants will be exonerated, as the case has not been closed and a separate legal case against the brothers is ongoing in Romania.
The appeals court effectively returned the case to the prosecutors, giving them the opportunity to present new evidence or amend existing charges.
In November, the same court had given prosecutors a five-day ultimatum to amend their case file or withdraw it. The request for the appeals court to review the case was made by Tate’s defense team.
Mateea Petrescu, a spokesperson for Andrew Tate, welcomed the court’s decision, stating that it “confirms the lack of credible evidence or consistency in the accusations” by the prosecutors. “The review revealed significant procedural flaws and raised serious concerns about the integrity of the investigative process, further undermining the credibility of the prosecution’s case,” she added.
Andrew Tate himself expressed relief and frustration, stating that prosecutors “had years to build their case” and to “tear apart my life… and yet, they have nothing.” He claimed that the authorities had “thrown him in jail, taken his money, his cars, and every ounce of his freedom” and had “made him the biggest enemy on the streets, dragging his name through the dirt with accusations of the lowest, most vile deeds a man can be accused of. But I never broke.”
The appeals court had previously identified multiple flaws in the prosecutors’ case, including the removal of evidence such as witness statements by two alleged victims and statements by the Tate brothers, which were deemed inadmissible. The court also criticized the indictment for failing to adequately explain the charges against Andrew Tate to one alleged female victim and for not properly presenting the charges against the two female suspects.
Eugen Vidineac, one of the Tate brothers’ lawyers, hailed the decision as “a significant legal victory” that “rightly determined that there is insufficient basis to proceed with the case.” He praised the strength of Romania’s legal system and the integrity of its judges, stating that “this decision is a testament to the strength of our legal system and the integrity of its judges.”
In a separate development, a British court ruled that police can seize over 2.6 million pounds ($3.3 million) from the Tate brothers to cover unpaid taxes. Andrew Tate responded by accusing the UK government of “outright theft” and claiming that the move was “a coordinated attack on anyone who dares to challenge the system.”
