A Romanian judge has opened up on the reasons behind the decision to extend the detention of controversial influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristian, citing their “particular dangerousness.”
Tate, born Emory Andrew Tate III, is a 36-year-old former four-time world champion kickboxer and highly polarizing figure who has been held in custody by the Romanian authorities since late December on charges of human trafficking and rape.
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The judge who extended Tate and his brother’s detention an additional 30 days until Feb. 27 said the pair are dangerous and have the “capacity and effort to exercise permanent psychological control over the victims … including by resorting to constant acts of violence,” according to a Friday report.
The comments arrive following a statement from a Bucharest court and less than two weeks after a documentary on the Tates was published by Vice.
According to the court, the decision to extend the brothers’ detention was justified as an effort to protect an investigation and ensure the Tates will be available for future trial.
Both Andrew and Tristian are capable of identifying their victims, and he considers them to be “culprits, rather than the traffickers, who obtain huge profits from exploiting them,” according to the report.
Prosecutors maintain Tate and his brother force women to work 12-hour days and only give them five minutes as a personal reprieve, the judge said.
The facts of the case have not been “fully clarified,” according to the judge, but this does not remove “a reasonable suspicion” that the Tate brothers committed the crimes.
Social media accounts belonging to Andrew and Tristian Tate are still active, and both categorically deny the accusations against them.
While they were being transported earlier this week, both brothers made brief comments to the press while being ushered into a van outside DIICOT, Romania’s Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism.
“Ask the police what evidence there is against me!” Tristian Tate said. “They have nothing!”
“The matrix is trying to frame me, but God knows the truth,” Andrew said. “There’s no evidence in my file because I’ve done nothing wrong. Everybody knows I’m innocent.”
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They are expected to appeal the extended detention next week, the report noted.
