Andrew and Tristan Tate have lost a legal bid to uncover the names of the women accusing them of rape and human trafficking in the UK, following a High Court ruling on Friday (26 June 2026).
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) withheld the identities to remove the risk of the alleged victims being publicly named online before any formal trials begin.
High court backs precautionary approach
A High Court judge dismissed the brothers’ judicial review at the Royal Courts of Justice, ruling that prosecutors acted on sound legal grounds.
As reported by The Guardian, Mr Justice Chamberlain said: “The high profile of the claimants was not an irrelevant factor, because it bore on the extent of the damage that would be done if they chose to name the complainants publicly.”
The specialist prosecutor described the brothers as “notorious,” a label the judge deemed fair given they are currently banned from all Google-owned social media platforms.
Lawyers representing the Tates argued that withholding the names breached their human rights and hampered their ability to prepare for a fair trial.
Read: Opinion: Boys are being groomed online by manosphere grifters and Ofcom must step up
The defence claimed the prosecution had made an “inflated assumption of risk” that the pair would identify the women online to pressure them into withdrawing from the case.
To mitigate these concerns, the brothers offered to be interviewed by Bedfordshire Police in Romania and proposed a £20,000 cash guarantee from each of them if they disclosed the identities.
However, the court rejected this offer, noting there is no legal mechanism to enforce such a financial agreement while the suspects remain outside the UK.
Bedfordshire Police investigation
The ongoing UK case follows a file of evidence submitted to prosecutors by Bedfordshire Police under Operation Moonwalk.
The force secured arrest warrants for the British-American brothers in March 2024.
Andrew Tate, 39, faces 10 charges across three alleged victims, including rape, actual bodily harm, human trafficking, and controlling prostitution for gain.
Tristan Tate, 37, faces 11 charges involving one alleged victim, including rape, actual bodily harm, and human trafficking.
The alleged offences are said to have taken place between 2012 and 2016.
Both men deny all allegations against them.
Extradition faces lengthy delays
Read: Bedfordshire Police file leads to CPS charging Tate brothers with rape and trafficking
Although the UK charges are confirmed, the brothers are currently in Romania, where they face separate allegations of rape, human trafficking, and forming an organised criminal group.
The Romanian authorities have agreed that extradition to the UK will only proceed after the domestic legal matters in Romania are fully concluded.
Lawyers for the Tates recently informed the High Court that these ongoing legal proceedings in Romania could delay their return to the UK until the next decade.
Bedfordshire Police previously stated that anyone impacted by reports of sexual offences can access support online or by calling 101.
