Self-professed misogynists and alleged rapists and human traffickers Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan left Romania on a US-bound private jet, and are now in Florida. This was after officials lifted a travel ban which had been barring them from leaving the country amidst a slate of serious criminal charges.
Notably, lobbying from the Trump administration looks to have played a role in Romania’s sudden relaxing of Tate’s travel restrictions.
Now, the UK solicitor representing British women survivors of Tate’s alleged violent crimes, has lambasted prime minister Keir Starmer amidst his Whitehouse visit. In particular, he has called out the Labour Party government’s failure to act to prevent the two leaving for the US – when it knew “more than a week ago” it could happen.
Andrew Tate: arch misogynist influencer and alleged rapist US-bound
The dual US-UK citizens and self-styled sexist social media influencers are facing criminal charges in Romania for a series of serious and violent crimes. This includes allegations of human trafficking, rape, and money laundering. They also stand accused of forming a criminal gang to exploit women.
Alongside these charges in Romania, the pair of arch chauvinists face further allegations in the UK. These are for similar reported sexual violence crimes – again including both rape, and human trafficking. In addition to this, Westminster Magistrates Court previously ruled that British police could seize nearly £2.7m from the Tate brothers in unpaid tax.
Four survivors of sexual assault who have made allegations against Tate have spoken out on the news. As the BBC reported, the group issued a joint statement. In this, they expressed that they are in “disbelief and feel re-traumatised” by the turn of events. Moreover, they articulated their worry that Tate would:
use it as an opportunity to harass further and intimidate witnesses and his accusers, and he will continue to spread his violent, misogynistic doctrine around the world.
Romania’s law enforcement service DIICOT have not dropped the investigation. Moreover, purportedly, it will require the Tate brothers to return to Romania. Under Romania’s law of “judicial control”, reports suggest that the country could call the pair back to Romania by the end of March.
However, the British women waiting for justice expressed their view that the move to lift the travel ban means that the Tate brothers will now evade justice. They stated that:
It is clear that he will now not face criminal prosecution for his alleged crimes in Romania.
Already, Romania appears to be lifting some of its legal action against the brothers. A representative of the Tate brothers has said that Romanian authorities have returned some of their seized assets. It includes five properties, and another which they partially own, six cars, company shares, and frozen bank accounts.
The Trump admin’s influence over Andrew Tate travel ban
As ardent Donald Trump supporters, since the president’s inauguration, the Whitehouse had been operating to intervene. Of course, Trump himself is a staunch and outspoken misogynist, convicted felon, and rapist. So it’s perhaps little wonder the president has been fighting in their corner since he entered the Oval Office.
And notably, the Tate brothers have long had connections to the reprising president. As the Guardian’s Matt Shea reported recently:
The alliance between the Trump administration and the Tate brothers has been in the making for a long time. Paul Ingrassia, one of the lawyers Andrew Tate hired to fight his human trafficking case, was recently sworn in as the White House liaison for the Department of Justice. According to him, the Tate brothers were “sacrificed on the altar of the Matrix under the banner of egregious crimes they never committed”.
Andrew Tate has been friends since 2016 with Donald Trump Jr, who called Tate’s detention “absolute insanity”. Donald Trump himself also appeared on a stream with the Andrew Tate sycophant and collaborator Adin Ross in August 2024. Around the same time, JD Vance appeared on the pro-Tate podcast the Nelk Boys.
Elon Musk responded to Tate’s plan to “run for prime minister of the UK” by saying “he’s not wrong” and JD Vance followed both Tate brothers on X in December.
Now, the pairs sudden departure comes not little over a week after Trump’s envoy Richard Grenell raised it. He did so with Romania’s foreign minister Emil Hurezeanu at a security conference in Munich.
Given the recent lobbying efforts of the Trump administration, UK solicitor Matthew Jury has called out the UK government for its failure to pre-empt this outcome.
Starmer knew that the ‘serial rapist’ could soon slip out out of reach
In an online statement on X, Jury wrote:
The news that pressure by the Trump Administration has led to Andrew Tate, and his brother Tristan, being allowed to leave Romania by its authorities is equal parts disgusting and dismaying.
There is clear evidence to support the allegations against Tate that he is one of the world’s worst human traffickers and serial rapists.
That the US Government would choose to lobby for his release is absurd but sadly, given its actions over the past month, perhaps unsurprising.
Any suggestion that the Tates will now face justice in Romania is fanciful.
The UK authorities must take immediate steps to secure their extradition to the UK to face charges for the offences of human trafficking and rape they are alleged to have committed in this jurisdiction.
Romania has embarrassed itself. The UK must not do the same.
@10DowningStreet was aware this may happen more than a week ago. The fact that nothing seems to have been done to prevent it is concerning. One can only hope action will now be taken.
Given that @Keir_Starmer is in the US today to meet with
@realDonaldTrump perhaps his team may take the opportunity to raise this issue on behalf of the many British women who Tate is alleged to have raped and sexually assaulted who may now be denied justice.
However, a Downing Street spokesperson has declined to comment on the news. Moreover, as the BBC detailed, he refused to confirm whether Starmer would raise it with Trump. The UK prime minister is currently visiting the Whitehouse. His office said only that since it was a “live case”, then:
you wouldn’t expect us to comment on ongoing legal proceedings.
And his spokesperson added that:
This was a decision taken by the Romanian courts independently following due process and their investigation remains in place.
But more widely, the prime minister has been clear that human trafficking should be viewed as a global security threat, similar to terrorism.
Featured image via the Canary
