A Northern Ireland MP has issued legal proceedings against controversial ‘influencers’ Andrew and Tristan Tate.
In a brief statement issued on Tuesday evening, it emerged that a lawyer acting for Alliance Lagan Valley representative Sorcha Eastwood is suing the pair.
The statement was issued by top NI solicitor Kevin Winters. It said: “We act on behalf of Sorcha Eastwood MP. We are instructed to issue legal proceedings against Andrew and Tristan Tate over their continued publication of social media postings on 10 January 2025.
“We can confirm service of correspondence on today’s date to their solicitors. In view of the sensitivities of the issues engaged we have no further comment at this stage.”
The news emerged just days after Ms Eastwood told the House of Commons about rape threats she has received online. She made the comments during a debate on violence against women and girls. There is no suggestion the Tate brothers were involved in those threats.
The statement was also issued as it emerged that Andrew Tate has been released from house arrest by a Romanian court, pending the outcome of a criminal investigation.
A spokesman for Tate said he has been put under judicial control, meaning he can travel through Romania “while adhering to the required legal conditions”.
Tate, 38, is facing allegations of trafficking of minors, sexual intercourse with a minor and money laundering, alongside his brother Tristan. Both have strongly denied the charges.
The spokesman added: “Andrew Tate and his team remain committed to full cooperation and the pursuit of justice.”
Tate was put under house arrest in August when prosecutors launched a second criminal investigation against himself and Tristan Tate, as well as four other suspects, over allegations of trafficking of minors, sexual intercourse with a minor and money laundering. They all deny wrongdoing.
A first, separate case against the brothers was sent back to prosecutors by the Court of Appeals in Bucharest in December for the second time, saying it could not proceed in its current form. In that case, Andrew and Tristan Tate were accused of human trafficking and forming an organised group to sexually exploit women.
They deny these allegations, as well as accusations of rape and human trafficking that have been made against them in the UK, where police are seeking to extradite the dual UK-US nationals. A judge in Bucharest has previously said that extradition request will be dealt with after the conclusion of the case in Romania.
English (United States) ·