Andrew Tate Loses Appeal in Romanian Court

Facts

• On Tuesday, British-American brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate, as well as two Romanian women, were denied their request to be released from Romanian jail. All four were arrested and imprisoned in December 2022 for 30 days on charges of being part of an organized crime group, human trafficking, and rape.
• The Tate brothers and the female suspects will remain in detention as the country's anti-organized crime agency (DIICOT) investigates claims that the brothers subjected six victims to "acts of physical violence and mental coercion."
• Even after the end of the 30-day detention, prosecutors can seek to extend their arrest period for a maximum of 180 days should they need more time to investigate.
• Meanwhile, Tate's lawyer claimed there was a lack of evidence to support the allegations against the social media influencer or his brother. He added that the controversial online persona of Andrew Tate, a self-professed misogynist, bears no relation to real life.
• However, the DIICOT and federal prosecutors allege that Andrew and Tristan recruited their victims by pretenses of love and later intimated them to perform pornographic social media content for financial profit.
• Investigators have seized 15 luxury cars – at least seven belonging to the Tate brothers – and more than ten properties and pieces of land owned by companies registered with them. The DIICOT claims the assets were confiscated to cover the investigation expenses and damages to the victims if the suspects are found guilty.

Sources: Insider, Sky, Independent , Yahoo Movies, Reuters, and Guardian.

Narratives

• Left narrative, as provided by Star. Besides his flight risk, Tate's misogynistic and outright violent statements about women fit perfectly with the allegations made by his victims. The man who makes outrageous claims about women — such as that they are a man's property, belong in the home, and are partially responsible for being raped — is a social criminal and deserves to stay behind bars.
• Right narrative, as provided by Christian Post. Everyone has a right to free speech, no matter who they are or what they believe. While his comments may be misguided or controversial, Andrew Tate has the right to speak. Moreover, Tate’s rising popularity among younger men hasn't necessarily been unique. Promoting a hypersexualized, playboy lifestyle on social media is no crime and locking up one of the internet's biggest celebrities based on his views, rather than evidence, is unjustified.
• Narrative C, as provided by Ms Magazine. Andrew Tate's popularity demonstrates that, if feminists and progressives can't find a way to speak thoughtfully and compassionately to young men, including teens, they risk enabling entrepreneurs like Tate to monetize misogyny. It is urgent that we pay attention to elements of both the cultural and political context for his rise and fall if we want to prevent the suffering of women and everyone else in society.