Tate brothers face rape and trafficking charges in U.K.

LONDON — British prosecutors have confirmed that Andrew and Tristan Tate face 21 criminal charges in total, that include rape, assault and human trafficking.

It’s the first time that Britain’s Crown Prosecution has revealed the detailed charges, that it first authorized last year after a police service in Bedfordshire — north of London — provided it with a file of allegations dating back to a period between 2012 and 2015.

The two British-American brothers will face the charges once they are extradited back to the U.K. from Romania, where they currently live, but their extradition is still pending because they are still involved in separate criminal proceedings in Romania. They involve allegations of having formed a criminal gang to exploit women.

Andrew Tate, 38, a former kickboxing champion turned self-styled misogynist influencer is accused of 10 offences tied to 3 alleged victims. The charges include rape, human trafficking, a form of assault known under British law as “actual bodily harm”, and a type of prostitution for financial gain.

His younger brother Tristan, 36, has been charged with 11 offences, including rape and trafficking, that are tied to a single alleged victim.

A European arrest warrant has already been issued and approved by the courts in Romanian, but a travel ban on the Tates was lifted recently, allowing them to fly to Florida via private jet in February, before returning to the Romanian capital of Bucharest in March.

The brothers, known for their extravagant lifestyle and controversial online personas, both deny all charges.

Andrew Tate boasts a following of 10 million users on the X social media platform, and has earned a reputation for posting about masculinity, self-disciplined and his amassing of wealth. Many of his followers are schoolboys — something that has sparked concern among educators worldwide.

Authorities in Romania first arrested the Tates in December 2022 during investigations into an alleged sex trafficking operation. The pair spent months under house arrest before fresh accusations were introduced in 2024 of sex with a minor and trafficking underage persons. They have repeatedly denied all allegations.

The Tates have promised to fight the charges in Britain and Romania, publicly declaring their intent to prove their innocence in both jurisdictions.

In the meantime, four other women in the U.K. have continued with a separate lawsuit against Andrew Tate, accusing him in a civil proceeding of having raped and physically abused them, and insisting police and prosecutors had failed them by declining to pursue criminal charges several years ago.

The British prosecutors have been at pains to remind the public that the brothers remain innocent until proven guilty.

“Criminal proceedings are active, and the defendants have the right to a fair trial,” said a spokesperson for the Crown Prosecution Service.