A police force being probed over its handling of sex abuse claims made against influencer Andrew Tate has reopened its investigation into the allegations.
Hertfordshire Constabulary made the decision to reinvestigate the alleged rape and sexual assault offences which were reported to the force between 2014 and 2015.
The decision comes a day after the Independent Office for Police Conduct said a former detective constable could face gross misconduct proceedings for “alleged failures to properly investigate” the case.
The force said in a statement: “We are committed to doing what is right and ensuring that allegations of such a serious nature are properly, thoroughly and fully investigated, no matter how long ago they occurred.”
Three women made allegations against Tate to the force, but the case was closed in 2019 after a four-year investigation.
In a joint statement, the three alleged victims said: “It is long overdue for Hertfordshire Constabulary to reopen the investigation into our allegations of rape, sexual abuse and assault by Andrew Tate.
“We have never stopped our search for justice following what we believe was the police’s failure to adequately investigate what happened between 2013 and 2015.”
In September last year, the CPS said the legal test to bring criminal charges had not been met.
The three women have taken their claims against Tate to the High Court alongside a fourth woman – allegations the professional kick-boxer “categorically” denies.
The civil trial is due to take place in June this year.
Court documents show Tate is accused of holding a gun to a woman’s face before saying “you’re going to do as I say or there’ll be hell to pay”, with one woman alleging Tate assaulted her with a belt and grabbed her by the throat on a number of occasions.
Tate’s lawyers previously vehemently denied the claims made against him, saying the allegations are “false” and that they “were not controlled and did not behave as though they were controlled” by him.
Tate is also facing legal proceedings in Romania alongside his brother Tristan Tate, in which both men have denied any wrongdoing.
The pair are due to be extradited to the UK following the conclusion of proceedings in Romania, after Bedfordshire Police secured a European arrest warrant for further separate allegations of rape and human trafficking involving different women.
Those allegations, which the brothers “unequivocally deny”, date back to 2012-2015.
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