Tate brothers’ case sent back for review: Final decision excludes key evidence

The Bucharest Court of Appeal decided on Tuesday to send the case involving the Tate brothers back to DIICOT (Romania’s Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism). The charges include forming an organized criminal group, continuous human trafficking, and repeated rape. The court also ordered the exclusion of several pieces of evidence and witness statements. This ruling is final.

The decision followed appeals from Andrew and Tristan Tate, as well as their alleged accomplices, Georgiana-Manuela Naghel and Alexandra-Luana Radu, against a previous ruling by the Bucharest Tribunal in April 2024.

Details of the Ruling
The Court of Appeal accepted several exceptions raised by the defendants and found irregularities in the indictment issued by DIICOT (case number 1305/D/P/2022, dated June 15, 2023). The identified issues included:

• Presentation of facts: The indictment failed to clearly describe the actions constituting human trafficking involving Naghel and Radu.
• Right to defense: Andrew Tate’s defense rights were infringed in the context of allegations involving victim Christiana Bourne.
• Asset seizure: The indictment did not specify the amounts subject to special confiscation.

Furthermore, the court declared null certain procedural actions, such as testimony obtained in April 2022 and statements given by two individuals during pretrial hearings. It also excluded witness statements provided by the Tate brothers.

According to the court, all evidence deemed inadmissible, including references to it in procedural documents, must be removed from the case.

Prosecution’s Next Steps
DIICOT has five days to decide whether to maintain the charges against the Tate brothers or request that the case be returned for further investigation. The next hearing is scheduled for December 10, 2024, with all involved parties to be notified.

Lawyers’ Reactions
The Tates’ legal team hailed the decision as a significant victory. Lead attorney Eugen Vidineac stated:

“This is a monumental victory for our clients, who have maintained their innocence from the start. The exclusion of key evidence demonstrates the lack of foundation in the charges.”

Vidineac added that the ruling highlights substantial weaknesses in the prosecution’s case and validates the defendants’ claims of innocence.

The defense emphasized the importance of respecting constitutional rights and ensuring a transparent judicial process. The Tate brothers have pledged full cooperation with authorities as they continue to seek exoneration.

Background on the Case
In April 2024, the Bucharest Tribunal ruled to begin the trial against the Tate brothers, Naghel, and Radu on charges including:

• Organized crime
• Continuous human trafficking
• Repeated rape
• Unauthorized access to computer systems
• Tampering with data integrity
• Inciting assault

Seven women were identified as victims of forced labor and sexual exploitation. Among them, three are pursuing civil claims.

The investigation also revealed instances of sexual violence, with one victim alleging she was coerced into repeated sexual acts through physical and psychological pressure in March 2022.

Prosecutors argue that, beginning in 2021, the defendants formed a criminal group to engage in human trafficking across Romania, the UK, and the US.