Tate has denied the charges brought against him, with his lawyer insisting that “there is not a single piece of evidence to suggest that a crime of rape has been committed.”
US-British social media star Andrew Tate has appealed the decision by the Romanian authorities to extend his arrest period after he was detained in the country on December 29.
Tate was arrested along with his brother Tristan in an area north of Bucharest on suspicion of being involved in an organized crime group and on charges of rape and human trafficking, with two Romanian women also being apprehended.
On December 30, a judge agreed to extend the suspects’ arrest period from the initial 24 hours to 30 days due to concerns that they may attempt to “leave Romania and settle in countries that do not allow extradition.”
All four suspects have since sought to appeal. Andrew and Tristan Tate have so far denied the charges.
“It was a long day. The defendants were able to express themselves,” Eugen Vidineac, Andrew’s and Tristan’s lawyer, said upon the conclusion of the court hearing that lasted several hours.
The Tates and their two alleged cohorts are being accused of sexual exploitation of women whom they supposedly coerced into performing “pornographic acts” with the intent of publishing these materials online for “substantial financial benefits,” according to media reports.
Romanian authorities have reportedly been investigating the suspects for several months and have identified six potential victims.
Vidineac, however, stated that “there is not a single piece of evidence to suggest that a crime of rape has been committed.”
