A police department in the UK has decided to reopen an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse involving social media influencer Andrew Tate. The Hertfordshire Constabulary made this choice to reinvestigate claims of rape and sexual assault made by three women in 2014 and 2015. The case had been closed in 2019 after a four-year investigation.
In a statement, the police force expressed their commitment to thoroughly investigating serious allegations regardless of when they occurred. This decision follows an announcement by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) that they are looking into how the police force handled the accusations against Tate, who has denied all allegations. The IOPC mentioned that a former detective constable might face misconduct proceedings for not investigating the case adequately, while two former detective sergeants are also under scrutiny for alleged misconduct during the investigation.
The three women who reported the incidents to the police welcomed the IOPC’s intervention, emphasizing their desire for a fair and thorough examination of their cases and evidence. These women, along with a fourth individual, have taken their claims to the High Court, alleging that the ex-professional kickboxer Tate subjected them to sexual violence. One claimant also accuses Tate of assaulting her with a belt and choking her on multiple occasions in 2015.
Tate’s legal team previously refuted the allegations, labeling them as false and asserting that the women were not under his control. They emphasized that the claims remain unproven and untested. A civil trial is scheduled for June this year, and the Crown Prosecution Service’s decision not to press charges is currently being reviewed at the request of the victims.
Matthew Jury, managing partner at McCue Jury & Partners, representing the women, praised their persistence in seeking justice and highlighted concerns over the initial handling of the investigation by the police a decade ago. Tate and his brother, Tristan Tate, are also facing legal action in Romania but deny any wrongdoing. They are expected to be extradited to the UK following legal proceedings in Romania related to separate allegations of rape and human trafficking involving different women from 2012 to 2015.
