Andrew Tate loses comeback fight in Dubai as pressure grows on Starmer to extradite him to UK
Keir Starmer is facing pressure to bring influencer Andrew Tate back to the UK to face rape charges.
Tate, 39, a self-described misogynist, was thrust into the spotlight again on Saturday when he lost his comeback fight to American reality TV star Chase DeMoor in Dubai.
He emerged from the boxing ring bruised after losing to DeMoor in the sixth round.
Tate and his brother Tristan face a string of 21 charges in the UK, including rape, assault, human trafficking and controlling prostitution.
Bedfordshire Police issued European arrest warrants for the men, but first agreed to allow separate cases of rape and human trafficking to be completed in Romania.
Tate also faces a lawsuit from four women in England who accuse him of assault and rape.
The Tate brothers were under house arrest in Romania until February and have been traveling abroad, including the United States, since the ban was lifted.
The Prime Minister is now being asked to use Tate’s trip to Dubai as an impetus to extradite him to the UK.
Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel said: “The Tate sisters face extremely serious charges and it has been a long time since they have been brought to justice in the UK.
“The Prime Minister should call on the Dubai authorities to arrest and extradite them when they visit them, so that proper judicial process can be carried out.”
Labor MP Emily Darlington, who campaigned on behalf of the alleged Tate victims, said: “It is an affront to justice that the Tate sisters are allowed to move freely in the world while the alleged victims cannot even access social media for fear of being harassed and their location revealed.
“Too often in our society we see the lives of victims and survivors curtailed as abusers evade justice.
Matt Jury of McCue Jury and Partners, who represents four women who brought civil claims against Tate, also called on Sir Keir to take action.
He said: “The UK government has a golden opportunity this weekend to arrest Andrew Tate in Dubai and eventually stand trial in the UK, but we have seen time and time again that Labor ministers, for all their tough talk about tackling sexual violence against women, are reluctant to do what is likely necessary to deliver justice for the women who claim they were raped and assaulted by Tate.”
He added: “If you want to teach men the dangers of misogyny, start by showing them there are consequences.”
