This situation is a mess and also a window into what a mess the UK police seem to be. The backstory here is that more than 10 years ago several women came forward and accused Andrew Tate of various crimes. Tate was arrested in 2015 and a bunch of phones with evidence connected to the case were seized. But the case went nowhere and was eventually closed in 2019.
In 2024, four women who'd made the allegations against Tate decided to sue him in civil court.
Two of the women suing Tate worked for his online sex business in Luton, Bedfordshire, and two former girlfriends claimed they were also attacked. One of the women told the court that Tate raped her after he pointed a gun at her face and said: “I’m a boss, I’m a f***ing G, you’re going to do as I say or there’ll be hell to pay.”
That trial was set to begin next month. However, today, the court agreed to delay the start of the civil trial.
Four women's claims of sexual violence against Tate were due to go to trial in the court on 22 June.
But the case was adjourned on Wednesday after police reopened a criminal investigation, prompting Mrs Justice Lambert to say: "As soon as this case is ready it will be heard."...
On Tuesday, Tate's lawyers applied for a stay of 12 months on the civil case, arguing they were awaiting materials from the police and that any potential future criminal proceedings could be prejudiced.
Mrs Justice Lambert rejected this on Wednesday - instead opting to adjourn to await further details on the police investigation, but urging the police to "work with a degree of urgency".
There's more to it. In March the local police announced that they were going to have another look at the criminal case against Tate. Why did this crop up again in March? Because an independent review found that several of the police investigators back in 2015 could be facing charges of gross misconduct for their slipshod investigation at the time.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it was looking into Hertfordshire Constabulary's response to reports made by three women after their case was closed in 2019 following a four-year investigation...
An IOPC spokesperson told the BBC: "We are independently investigating the actions and decision making of Hertfordshire Constabulary following multiple reports of sexual offending by a man, which was first reported to the force in 2015.
"Our investigation began following a voluntary conduct referral from the force in December 2023.
"As part of our investigation, we are investigating a former detective constable for potential gross misconduct, relating to alleged failures to properly investigate, and two former detective sergeants at the level of misconduct, who supervised the investigation."
In other words, it looks like the cops in charge botched the investigation. The next day, the police from Hertfordshire Constabulary announced they were reopening the case and do it right this time.
In theory, this reinvestigation could take up to a year and then a criminal trial (assuming charges are brought) could take another year or two beyond that. But given that the civil trial is nearly ready to go, the women involved aren't eager to wait around for the police to finally do their jobs. Instead they expressed cautious optimism about the new investigation, but they don't seem to be hanging their hopes on it.
Matthew Jury, representing the women in the civil case, said “[They] have already endured more than a decade of waiting for justice. They have been let down time and again by the police, who failed to properly investigate their allegations the first-time round, and by the [Crown Prosecution Service], which refused to listen to their concerns, even after the police were referred to the [IOPC]. However, they are placing cautious hope in the newly tasked major crime unit to conduct an effective investigation and are reiterating their request to the government for the authorities to ensure Tate is brought back to Britain to face justice here as soon as possible.”
Naturally, Andrew Tate would prefer to delay everything for a few more years if possible but it doesn't look like that is in the cards. Even if that did somehow happen, he's still facing another case involving three other women in the UK making similar allegations.
The British authorities last year authorized criminal charges for rape, human trafficking and assault against Mr. Tate and his brother, Tristan Tate, after an investigation by Bedfordshire Police relating to three different women.
They also could be facing charges in Romania but that case has been dragging on for years with no apparent progress.
Editor’s Note: The American people overwhelmingly support President Trump’s law and order agenda.
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