You Can Run But You Can't Hide: The Arrest of Andrew Tate

Andrew Tate, the social media "influencer" who encouraged men to cheat on women and plied women with alcohol and drugs for years, has been arrested and indicted in Romania. His charges are human trafficking and rape. He was arrested, along with his brother, and two female Romanian companions who were trying to form a gang.

Tate was first arrested in Bucharest, Romania’s capital, in December 2022. He and his brother were detained in police custody until March, before being put under house arrest. Andrew Tate has also been charged with raping one of the victims, while his brother Tristan has been charged with instigating others to violence. Tate, a former professional kickboxer, first became infamous for his viral online rants preaching male dominance, female submission and the pursuit of wealth. He has openly advocated for violence against women. Before it was taken down, his TikTok account racked up about 11.6 billion views. Interestingly, there are videos of Tate pirouetteing for wealthy male Arabs in Dubai and the UAE, and so questions have been raised about Tate's own sexuality.

Under Romanian law, the case will be sent to the court’s preliminary chamber, where a judge has 60 days to inspect the case files to ensure legality.

Prosecutors have said the Tate brothers recruited their victims by seducing them and falsely claiming to want a relationship or marriage. The Tate brothers would also pit women against each other, or force them into competitions during movie watching sessions.

The legal team specifies that now “the referral of the case to the Bucharest Court, the judge will set a hearing in which he will either communicate the indictment to the defenders chosen by Andrew and Tristan Tate or set a deadline for communicating the indictment by post. At the same hearing, the judge will discuss whether a preventive measure against the defendants is necessary.”

“Our main objective will be to establish the truth and ensure a fair and impartial legal approach by presenting evidence and proof relevant to the case. The referral of the case for trial will allow us to present a comprehensive body of evidence, diligently gathered and prepared over time, which will undoubtedly be essential in exonerating the defendants.”

Andrew Tate has exhibited the same toxic, criminal behavior for years. Why was he arrested in Romania, and not the United States? Romania's location, between East and West, makes it a hotspot for traffickers traveling to wealthy clients in Saudi Arabia, Israel and Dubai. Wars in the Middle East such as in Afghanistan and Iraq helped cement drug trafficking routes (heroin to Europe from Afghanistan, for example) which are then used by sex and animal traffickers. Often these groups overlap or have the same clients. Romanian authorities have been aware of their country's reputation as a sex trafficking hub since the 1990s and some are eager to turn it around. The Andrew Tate case provides such an opportunity. Moreover, the U.S. Department of Justice and District Attorneys routinely turn a blind eye to human trafficking due to the clients involved (see the Jeffrey Epstein case).

Andrew Tate is worth studying to understand how men emulate him. A follower of Andrew Tate will: lean very heavily into negging. Prioritize physical attraction before all else (morality, humility, personality etc). Show open disdain for women. Engage in self-destructive tendencies, destroy relationships with women via infidelity. Be surrounded by drugs and alcohol. Spend money unwisely. Be arrogant. Be egotistical. Engage in false faith, claiming to be religious while never following religious tenets.

Andrew Tate is toxic not only directly, but indirectly via his social media reach. There are many lessons to be learned from this case.

See Andrew Tate indicted on human trafficking and rape charges in Romania | CNN