Brand Faces Sentencing as Police Look for More Victims
Russell Brand, 51, is due to be sentenced on Monday after being found guilty of rape and sexual assault, and the Metropolitan Police (the Met, London's main police force) say they now believe more women may have been attacked by him.
On 5 November, Southwark Crown Court found the comedian guilty of one count of rape and three sexual assaults. The rape conviction concerned a young fan at his London townhouse in 2009. The three assault convictions relate to separate incidents at a radio station, a recording studio and a bar. The trial covered alleged attacks between 1999 and 2009. Brand arrived at the court on 28 October to give evidence, and he denied all charges, saying he never had non-consensual sex.
The investigation has since widened. Police suspect at least 10 more women were attacked by Brand, and The Guardian reports that sources say the feared number of further victims is in double digits, with 10 seen as a minimum. Sir Mark Rowley, the Met Commissioner, said there could be many more victims, and he urged anyone who may have been harmed to come forward.
The Met said Brand is under investigation for two further rape allegations. Detectives have sent files on those cases to specialist rape prosecutors and are in discussions with them. Rowley said two other victims have come forward. The team that built the case against Brand will begin sifting through reports and intelligence about other potential victims next week.
Rowley also said that what he had heard reported from the trial came close to "victim blaming", a term used to describe responses that place blame on those who were harmed.
Separately, papers filed at the High Court, the civil court in England and Wales, set out a civil claim of sexual assault against Brand, according to the Telegraph. A civil claim is a lawsuit brought by a private party rather than a prosecution by the state.
Victims are expected to describe the impact of Brand's crimes in court on Monday, when he is sentenced. The Met praised the women who reported him for their courage and resilience.
