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Three women who made sex allegations against controversial influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan in Romania have dropped their complaint, MailOnline can reveal.
One woman was removed from the case last month and two others asked to be ‘declassified’ as victims at a closed-door meeting in the Romanian capital Bucharest on Friday morning.
This means that of seven women who originally made the allegations of rape and human trafficking, only three remain and the judges must now decide how to proceed with the case.
Self-confessed misogynist Tate, who revels in his rants against women, and his brother were initially arrested by Romanian police in late 2022 and held in custody for months before being released.
Investigators allege the two men – who hold dual British and American citizenship – formed a criminal gang with two women to sexually exploit and traffic other women, but all deny the charges.
Andrew Tate pictured leaving court in Bucharest, Romania on Friday after a hearing; MailOnline can reveal that two women asked to be ‘declassified’ as victims
Tate and his brother Tristan (pictured) have been accused of rape and human trafficking in Romania. They also face extradition to Britain on separate charges
Self-confessed misogynist Tate, who revels in his rants about women, and his brother deny the allegations against them in both Romania and the UK
Romania’s anti-organized crime agency DIICOT claimed the four defendants had formed a criminal group in 2021 ‘to commit the crime of human trafficking’ in Romania as well as the US and UK.
The agency claimed that seven female victims had been tricked and transported to Romania, including some who were ‘misled’ by ‘false claims of marriage and love’.
The alleged victims were taken to buildings on the outskirts of Bucharest, where prosecutors said they were sexually exploited and subjected to physical violence by the gang.
A source in Bucharest told MailOnline: ‘Two women said they no longer want to be seen as victims and another did the same last month.
“This means that the case now hangs in the balance, as almost half of the seven have resigned.
“The judge must not listen to the legal objections raised by the lawyers and set a new date for another preliminary chamber meeting.
“He could also, in theory, dismiss the objections, close the preliminary hearing and set a trial date, or he could send the entire investigation back to DIICOT.”
Earlier this week, the two brothers were arrested by Bucharest at the request of Bedfordshire Police after they obtained a European Arrest Warrant to investigate allegations of rape and human trafficking in the UK.
MailOnline has seen a copy of the warrant, which says there are three women making a total of eleven charges, ranging from three counts of rape, to six counts of sexual assault and two counts of human trafficking.
A judge ordered they could be extradited back to Britain, but only after the conclusion of the Romanian case, and they are now back in their Bucharest villa, denying the new allegations.
Representatives for the Tate declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline.