Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has said he expects more women to come forward with sexual abuse allegations against Russell Brand following the comedian and actor’s conviction for rape and three sexual assaults.
Rowley confirmed that detectives are investigating two additional rape allegations involving Brand and encouraged other potential victims to contact the police.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, the commissioner said high-profile cases often prompted more victims to report abuse because they gave others the confidence to share their experiences.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if many, many more come forward, and we’re open to that,” he said.
“At the moment, we’ve got two other victims who’ve come forward who want to tell their story, and so two rape cases we’re investigating.”
Police Investigate Allegation Involving 16-Year-Old Girl
One of the additional allegations concerns a woman who claims she was sexually abused when she was 16 and Brand was 30.
Prosecution papers not presented to the jury allege that she was groomed while still a virgin.
The woman, identified by the pseudonym Alice in Channel 4’s Dispatches investigation in 2023, claimed that a BBC vehicle collected her from school and took her to Brand’s home, where she was subsequently abused.
She alleged that Brand referred to her as his “little dolly” during their three-month relationship.
Alice also claimed that she had to punch him to stop an alleged oral rape.
The Crown Prosecution Service is considering whether further charges should be brought following the two additional rape allegations.
Rowley Criticises Arguments Made During Brand’s Trial
Rowley also expressed concern about arguments reportedly presented by Brand’s defence team during the trial, saying some came close to blaming alleged victims for how they responded to sexual attacks.
Brand’s barrister, Ian Winter KC, reportedly told jurors that none of the complainants had resisted, screamed or attempted to leave.
Asked about the comments and a proposal by Victims’ Commissioner Claire Waxman to require judges to address rape myths and misconceptions in every rape trial, Rowley said he strongly supported the proposal.
He argued that victims should not have their evidence questioned simply because they did not react in a particular way during an alleged assault.
“People fall into myths about how a rape victim must behave or react. The evidence is really clear. Some people will fight. Some people will freeze. Some people will tell someone straight away. Others will bottle it up for years. There is no single way of reacting,” he said.
Rowley added that people respond differently to traumatic experiences and that inaccurate assumptions about their behaviour should not be used to undermine their accounts.
Commissioner Says Abuse Often Involves an Imbalance of Power
The Metropolitan Police chief said Brand’s case demonstrated how people in positions of authority or influence could exploit others.
He noted that such power imbalances could exist in institutions, between teachers and children, or simply between adults and minors.
Rowley said the case showed that people who report sexual offences should expect their accounts to be taken seriously.
He also said police had worked to ensure that victims were not subjected to assumptions about how they should have behaved during an assault.
Detectives Had Considered Other Possible Suspects
The investigation also examined whether other people in the entertainment industry, including Brand’s aides, could face charges for allegedly enabling or assisting his offences.
However, detectives decided there was insufficient evidence to pursue charges against those individuals.
At least two other women had reportedly approached authorities with allegations of sexual abuse before Brand’s trial, but the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to proceed with their cases.
Police believe Brand’s conviction could encourage additional women to report alleged offences.
BBC and Channel 4 Executives Face Questions Over Brand’s Conduct
The allegations have also raised questions about how Brand’s behaviour was handled during his years working in television and radio.
In his memoir, Brand claimed that Lesley Douglas, who was then controller of BBC Radio 2 and 6 Music, had been “incredibly tolerant” of his inappropriate sexual behaviour while he was a presenter.
He also claimed that he had been allowed to use BBC disabled toilets for sexual encounters with 6 Music competition winners.
Questions have also been raised about Channel 4 executives and what they knew about Brand’s alleged conduct while he worked in the entertainment industry.
Brand Faces Civil Claims in Britain and the United States
Alongside the criminal proceedings, Brand is facing civil claims in Britain and the United States.
In the UK, a woman has lodged a High Court claim seeking £100,000 in damages. She alleges that Brand forced himself on her at his Los Angeles mansion in 2008.
The claimant, who was 23 at the time, says she fled the property half-dressed after Brand allegedly pushed her onto a bed and attempted to perform sexual acts against her will.
A separate lawsuit has been filed in New York by a woman who worked as an extra on the 2010 romantic comedy remake Arthur.
She alleges that Brand exposed himself to cast members before sexually assaulting her on the film set.
Criminal Convictions Could Lead to Further Legal Action
Brand was convicted of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others during the period when he was at the height of his fame.
Following the guilty verdicts, further legal action could be pursued by people bringing civil claims against him.
The criminal convictions have also created an opportunity for other alleged victims to seek compensation through the courts.
Brand’s civil cases in Britain and the United States remain separate from the additional rape allegations currently being investigated by the Metropolitan Police.
