Police fear at least 10 more women may have been targeted by Russell Brand, with the Metropolitan Police set to examine fresh reports and intelligence about further potential victims next week.
Detectives are bracing for a potential flood of new allegations following Brand’s conviction for rape and sexual assault, with police sources fearing the total number of additional victims is comfortably in double figures.
Ten is currently viewed as a conservative minimum, The Guardian reports, although some of the intelligence received so far is third-hand, while other alleged victims are reportedly hesitant to enter the criminal justice system.
The Met team behind the successful prosecution will begin analysing the fresh reports and intelligence next week, the Evening Standard understands.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has confirmed that detectives are already investigating two further allegations of rape against Brand, with case files submitted to specialist prosecutors at the Crown Prosecution Service.
Speaking on LBC Radio, Sir Mark said: “We’ve got two other victims who’ve come forward who want to tell their story, and so two rape cases we’re investigating. I wouldn’t be surprised if many, many more come forward, and we’re open to that.”
He declined to put a number on how many more victims there could be. “I’m not going to guess on this, but we’ve seen in the past with high-profile individuals who are brought to justice that it does often bring out a flood of other cases. Let’s see where this one goes.”
No further charges have been announced.
Brand, 51, was found guilty at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault, involving four women. He was found not guilty of one further count of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault.
Throughout the trial, which lasted nearly four weeks, Brand denied all seven criminal charges: three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of attempted indecent assault. After nearly nine hours of deliberations, the jury found him guilty of four sex attacks.
He was remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced on Monday, 9 November. The judge told him he should expect a “significant custodial term”.
The police investigation began after allegations were reported by Channel 4’s Dispatches, The Times and The Sunday Times in September 2023.
The Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, told Times Radio he will look at making changes to rape trials so that they “do not leave the woman feeling like she is on trial in court”.
“I think we need to constantly look at the way rape trials are conducted to make sure that they do not leave the woman feeling like she is on trial in court, as has been the experience of people in the past,” he said. “So I will look closely at what Sir Mark Rowley is saying. Always prepared to make changes. We need to encourage more women to come forward to report rape.”
He added: “We need to get the conviction rate up. It has improved, but not enough. We need to do more to support victims of sexual assault and rape, and we will do that as well.”
Asked whether changes would include legislation, he said: “I wouldn’t rule anything out, of course not. I mean, I will study what’s happened here in great detail.”
The commissioner’s warning that many more victims may come forward came a day after the jury’s verdict at Southwark Crown Court. Whether the new reports lead to further charges will become clear as the Met works through the material in the coming weeks.
