BUCHAREST (Reuters) -Romanian prosecutors sent divisive internet personality Andrew Tate, his brother Tristan and two other suspects to trial on Tuesday on charges of human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women.
The Tate brothers and two Romanian female suspects are under house arrest pending a criminal investigation for abuses committed against seven women, accusations they have denied.
The four were held in police custody from Dec. 29 until March 31 before a Bucharest court put them 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.
The trial will not start immediately.
Under Romanian law, the case gets sent to the court’s preliminary chamber, where a judge has 60 days to inspect the case files to ensure legality.
The Tate brothers, former kickboxers who have U.S. and British nationality with millions of online followers, are the highest profile suspects to be sent to trial in Romania for human trafficking.
Prosecutors have said the Tate brothers recruited their victims by seducing them and falsely claiming to want a relationship or marriage.
(Reporting by Luiza Ilie; Editing by Jason Hovet, Alexandra Hudson)
