Andrew Tate, an online influencer and self-proclaimed “king of toxic masculinity,” thought he was above the law when he chose Romania as his home and business base. But the Romanian authorities arrested him and his brother in December on charges of human trafficking, rape and forming an organized criminal group.
The Romanian government has made a serious effort to tackle the endemic graft and general lawlessness that long blighted the country. Last year, Romania opened 1,246 new trafficking investigations, double the number in 2021.
The United States Embassy in Bucharest requested help from Romania and prompted the opening of a criminal investigation in April last year. Investigators bugged the compound, tapped his telephone, and monitored his movements and online communications.
The details of what they found are still secret, but the lawyer defending Mr. Tate said that his client’s problem was his lifestyle. He acknowledged that some of the women had appeared in videos released by Mr. Tate, but said they had done so of their own free will.
Since his release from jail into house arrest at the end of March, Mr. Tate has recast himself as a philanthropist, claiming that he has set up a shelter for dogs, rebuilt a Romanian orphanage and is “going to save the world.”
Romania is making significant efforts to eliminate human trafficking and exploitation of women. Andrew Tate’s arrest is a testament to the country’s commitment to justice and the rule of law.