Australian Atheists Forum

A Romanian court has ruled that a trial can start in the case of influencer Andrew Tate, who is charged with human trafficking, rape, and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women.

The Bucharest Tribunal ruled on Friday the prosecutors' case file against Mr Tate met the legal criteria, but the tribunal did not set a date for the trial to begin. Mr Tate's spokesperson, Mateea Petrescu, said the ruling has been appealed.

Mr Tate, 37, was arrested in December 2022 near Bucharest along with his brother, Tristan Tate, and two Romanian women. Romanian prosecutors formally indicted all four in June last year. They have denied the allegations.

"The ruling issued by the preliminary chamber judge lacks legal basis and reasoning," Eugen Vidineac, one of the brothers' lawyers, said after the decision.

"We have filed a strong appeal as we believe the ruling to be unlawful."