The head of the Metropolitan Police has said he would not be surprised if more people came forward to make allegations against the entertainer and comedian Russell Brand, following his conviction this week for rape and sexual assault. Sir Mark Rowley made the comments in an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Friday, a day after Brand was found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault at Southwark Crown Court.
According to the BBC, Sir Mark praised the bravery of the women who came forward to tell their story to the police and during the trial. He said that was a real challenge for anyone who had gone through something so ghastly and that they had to be admired. He added that while Brand’s case may look different because it was about celebrity, the majority of sex offending was about people abusing power, and he reassured victims that they would be believed.
Sir Mark said the Met would do everything it could to bring to justice the powerful person responsible for probably the most ghastly moment in a victim’s life. He also confirmed that there were two ongoing rape investigations into Brand, and that Brand had already been interviewed under caution in relation to those allegations. Once the trial was over, the BBC reported that Brand was facing further rape allegations made by two women and had already been questioned by officers in relation to the complaints, with the Met saying its investigation remained ongoing.
Criticism of courtroom arguments
Sir Mark was also asked about arguments made by Brand’s defence barrister during the trial, in which jurors were told that none of the complainants had resisted, screamed or even tried to leave. The Met chief said that what he had heard reported from the trial came very close to victim blaming. He said it should not be possible for inaccurate statements to be made to a jury to suggest that because a rape victim did not behave in one way that somehow undermined their case.
He was asked whether he would support the Victim’s Commissioner’s call for a legal duty in the Courts and Tribunals Bill that would require judges to direct juries on rape myths and misconceptions in every rape trial. Sir Mark said he would strongly support such a decision. The comments add to a wider debate in the UK about how sexual offence trials are conducted, how defence arguments are framed, and whether jurors receive consistent guidance about common misconceptions.
Brand, 51, was acquitted of two other rape charges and one allegation of attempted indecent assault. He was refused bail following his conviction on Thursday and will spend the weekend in custody before returning to court on Monday for sentencing, where the judge has told him to expect a significant custodial term. The trial heard allegations from six women spanning the decade between 1999 and 2009, when Brand rose to fame as one of Britain’s most high-profile entertainers, with the women telling the court Brand used his fame to force them into sexual activity.
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Why it matters
The intervention from the country’s most senior police officer goes beyond a single case. It signals how seriously the Met is treating reports of abuse of power, whether or not the person involved is famous, and it puts pressure on the justice system to address the way rape myths are handled in court. For victims who have not yet come forward, the message that they will be believed and supported may be significant.
What happens next
Brand will be sentenced on Monday after a weekend in custody. Separately, the Met’s two ongoing rape investigations will continue, and Sir Mark has made clear he would not be surprised if further allegations emerged as a result of the publicity surrounding the trial. Any new complaints would be investigated in the normal way, the BBC reported.
Reporting based on BBC News coverage of Sir Mark Rowley’s comments to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
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