Andrew Tate’s UK Accusers Are Crowdfunding to Sue Him

Three British women who say they were abused and sexually assaulted by the “manosphere” influencer Andrew Tate are crowdfunding to sue him for compensation, in a case they hope will encourage police to reopen a criminal investigation against him.

The women, whose allegations against Tate were first reported by VICE World News in January, filed police complaints over the alleged abuse in 2014 and 2015. Their complaints were rolled into a single investigation by Hertfordshire Police, which resulted in Tate being arrested twice, but the file was not passed to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) until 2019. 

The CPS decided not to prosecute, finding that there was “no realistic prospect of a conviction,” despite the evidence in one complaint including a message from Tate that read: “I love raping you.” 

That decision stunned the complainants, who believe the decision to not prosecute allowed Tate to go on to abuse and exploit other women, including in Romania, where Tate and his brother Tristan are under house arrest. They are the subjects of a police investigation into suspected human trafficking, rape and sexual exploitation of women in the country.

On Friday, the women’s page on the crowdfunding site Crowdjustice had received pledges of £6,925 ($8,600) from more than 260 donors, with a target of £50,000.

Tate, a brash 36-year-old British-US citizen known as the “king of toxic masculinity,” has built a huge online following with motivational and lifestyle content and promoting money-making schemes, including advocating the so-called “loverboy” method to recruit and groom women into webcam sex work. Two of the women involved in the civil action claim they were abused while working for Tate’s webcam business in the UK.

Tate has repeatedly denied the allegations against him, both in the UK and Romania; in response to VICE World News questions in January about the criminal complaint laid by his former employees, his lawyer said that the women had “wanted money because [he] fired them.”

“To have seen Andrew Tate’s rise in popularity and influence, while knowing who he is and what he has done, has been extremely difficult for those of us who were sexually and physically abused by him,” said one of the women in a statement.

“We intend to prove in court that Andrew is abusive, coercive and controlling, and that his public statements about women are nothing more than fantasy. We are determined to get justice, and are ready to fight for it.”

The women’s civil claim is being pursued by law firm McCue Jury & Partners, which said in a statement that the claim related to “personal injury and psychiatric harm resulting from a number of alleged violent sexual and physical assaults, alongside a pattern of coercive and controlling behaviour against women during Tate’s time in the UK.”

The firm said it believed the extent of Tate’s offending in the UK “could be vast and that many victims of his crimes have yet to come forward.”

While the proposed action would be focused on a civil claim for compensation from Tate, the women and their legal team hope that the case will also build pressure on police to reopen the criminal investigation relating to their complaints. 

“The hope is that taking their own legal action will not only encourage others to come forward but the police to reopen its investigation and the CPS revisit its highly questionable decision not to prosecute Tate in 2019 when it had the chance,” Matthew Jury, managing partner at the law firm told VICE World News.

“We’ve spent too much time talking about Tate and listening to his misogynistic ramblings. Now’s the time to talk about and empower his alleged victims, to listen to their voices, and to hear their stories and, perhaps, this time, the government and the authorities will act.” 

Already, news of the proposed civil claim has sparked political support for police to revisit the investigation into the women’s allegations against Tate. 

Asked on Sky News on Thursday whether he would support Hertfordshire police “looking at [the Tate] case again,” the UK’s Crime and Policing Minister Chris Philp replied: “I would support any police force, including Hertfordshire, looking at any case, including historic cases where they feel there is a reasonable prospect for conviction or there is an offence that deserves or merits investigation.”

Those comments drew strong support from the deputy leader of the opposition Labour Party, Angela Rayner.

“I absolutely agree with the Policing Minister on this issue,” she said. 

“We have to support women in dealing with this crime, this misogynistic crime… these women have been through so much, and they're continuing to fight for justice.”

Lawyers spoken to by VICE World News said that the civil prosecution, if successful, could prove financially devastating for Tate – who has built his powerful online brand in part on ostentatious displays of wealth – especially if it encouraged other women to join the claim or launch their own civil actions.

“In a civil action, if successful, Tate would be personally liable for the damages and costs of the civil claim to the survivor. This includes any physical and psychological injuries as well as any associated losses, such as; earnings, disruption in education and therapy required. This could run into significant sums for Tate,” said Danielle Vincent, a senior associate at Hugh James Solicitors, who represents victims of sexual abuse but is not involved in the Tate civil case.

She said that abusers could be forced to sell their assets, or have future earnings deducted, if found liable for compensation.

“Tate has spent considerable time and energy documenting his alleged wealth on social media platforms which he may well lose… in civil actions,” said Vincent.