BUCHAREST, Romania — Thursday, attorneys for alleged abuse victims of social media influencer Andrew Tate, charged with rape and human trafficking, stated that the accused and his followers are attempting to intimidate their clients into silence.
At a news conference held at a hotel in the heart of Bucharest, attorneys representing legal teams from the United States and the United Kingdom stated that they wanted to take a “united stand” against Tate and his followers and address “ongoing attempts to silence those who are speaking out.”
Tate, a 36-year-old former professional kickboxer, is also accused of establishing a criminal gang to sexually exploit women in Romania. He has amassed 8 million followers on X, formerly known as Twitter, a social media platform.
McCue Jury & Partners represents women suing him in the United Kingdom for alleged rape and physical assault, while the National Centre on Sexual Exploitation Law Centre and Laffey Bucci & Kent represent “key witnesses” of the prosecution in the Romania case whom Tate is suing for defamation in the United States.
Thursday, a representative for him denied the claims made by the attorneys.
“These threats will not work, they will not prevent people from coming forward, and they will not stop courts around the world from hearing their cases,” the attorneys said in a joint statement. “We encourage individuals to play a role in preventing the spread of misinformation online and to consider carefully how their words in these spaces can affect those who are already suffering tremendously.”
Lawyers Of Alleged Andrew Tate’s Victims Say Their Clients Are Being Harassed And Intimidated
The Crown Prosecution Service decided not to prosecute Tate after four women reported him for alleged sexual assault and physical abuse. Subsequently, the alleged victims turned to crowdfunding to finance their civil case against him.
“We presented evidence of the heinous acts of violence we suffered and awaited action. Four years later, however, we were informed that he would not be prosecuted by British authorities,” they state on their campaign page, which has raised £30,000 of their £50,000 ($60,000) goal. This is our last remaining option for holding him accountable.
In a letter to the media sent last month, Tate referred to the allegations made by the British women as “malicious and disputed” and stated, “if proceedings are brought, I shall resist any attempt to claim anonymity for all or any of the complainants.”
However, the law firm McCue Jury & Partners, representing the women, asserted Thursday that Tate’s letter “contained numerous false and misleading statements.”
“Tate asserted that there is no case against him in the United Kingdom, and the firm proposed mediation through monetary compensation,” the law firm said. “Unfortunately for Mr. Tate, a lawsuit has been filed against him in the United Kingdom… We made it crystal plain to Tate that any settlement must include an admission of liability.”
In June, Romanian prosecutors formally indicted Tate, his brother Tristan, and two Romanian women in a separate case. All four were detained at the end of December and have denied the charges.
Lawyers Of Alleged Andrew Tate’s Victims Say Their Clients Are Being Harassed And Intimidated
The National Centre on Sexual Exploitation Law Centre, suppressing witnesses in the Romania case, stated that the brothers and their associates “have maliciously harassed and threatened” their customers.
In July, the Tate brothers filed a lawsuit against a Florida woman, her parents, a woman who resided at the Tate’s estate near Bucharest, and the woman’s male companion. In a lawsuit filed in Palm Beach County, the Tate brothers assert she fraudulently accused them of imprisoning her in Romania and are seeking at least $5 million in damages.
Jillian Roth of the law firm Laffey, Bucci & Kent stated that the lawsuit was filed to intimidate, harass, and retaliate against the women who spoke out against their abuse.
“These women are extremely frightened, they’re terrified,” Roth said. “They’ve been threatened, and people have visited their workplaces.”
Andrew Tate has repeatedly asserted that Romanian prosecutors have no evidence against him and that he is the target of a political plot to muzzle him. Due to his misogynistic views and hate speech, he was previously banned from several prominent social media platforms.
A Bucharest court ruled last week to remove Tate’s geographical restrictions, allowing him to travel anywhere in Romania. Before this decision, he was restricted to Bucharest Municipality and the neighboring Ilfov County unless he obtained a judge’s prior approval. However, he is unable to exit the country.
SOURCE – (AP)
