Police are bracing themselves for more victims of Russell Brand to come forward with at least 10 more women suspected of being attacked by the disgraced star.
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victims → brace → star
Brand, 51, will be sentenced on Monday to what is expected to be a lengthy jail sentence for rape and sexual assaults after he abused his fame to become a “predator” targeting women, and got away with it for years.
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he → sentence → years
The fallout from Brand’s case saw the government pledge to examine calls to crack down on “rape myths” in trials.
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government → see → trials
The Guardian also understands that next week the Met team that built the case against him will start sifting through reports and intelligence about other potential victims.
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that → understand → victims
The Met commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, said there could be “many more” victims, but declined to say how many, with some intelligence about further victims being third-hand and some further suspected victims reluctant to face the criminal justice system.
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victims → say → system
Sources say it is feared the number of further victims is at least in “double digits”, with 10 currently seen as a minimum.
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10 → say → minimum
The Met police said on Thursday that Brand was under investigation for two further rape allegations.
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Brand → say → allegations
Detectives have sent files to specialist rape prosecutors and are in discussions with them over the material.
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Detectives → send → material
Rowley 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.
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we → say → story
I wouldn’t be surprised if many, many more come forward, and we’re open to that.”
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we → come → that
Rowley declined on LBC Radio to confirm the new allegations would reach “double figures”, and said: “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.
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it → decline → cases
Let’s see where this one goes.”
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one → see → ?
The trial, which spanned claims of attacks from 1999 to 2009, saw women asked by the defence barrister why they had not screamed during attacks.
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they → span → attacks
A No 10 source said the prime minister, Andy Burnham, believed calls from the victims’ commissioner, Claire Waxman, for a legal duty that would require judges to issue directions to juries on rape myths and misconceptions, should be examined.
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that → say → myths
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “Rape myths have absolutely no place in our courts and victims should never feel as though they are the ones on trial.
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they → say → trial
“Judges are already able to give directions to counter rape myths … we will also carefully consider the victims’ commissioner’s proposals as we continue to strengthen protections for victims.”
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we → give → victims
Siobhan Blake, the CPS lead for rape and serious sexual offences, said: “The focus must be the actions of the perpetrator and not the behaviour of the victim.
“
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focus → say → victim
We know that there is no typical response to sexual assault and myths that victims should scream and fight back are outdated.
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victims → know → assault
Some people may freeze or feel unable to speak about it for months or even years, but this is not a barrier to justice.”
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this → freeze → justice
Brand now faces years more of imprisonment and the growing prospect of a fresh trial over further allegations.
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Brand → face → allegations
He was convicted on Thursday of raping a young fan at his luxury London townhouse in 2009, continuing despite her pleas for him to stop.
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him → convict → pleas
He had picked her out of a crowd.
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He → pick → crowd
He was also found guilty of sexually assaulting three women in separate incidents at a radio station, a recording studio and a bar.
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He → find → station
Victims are expected to tell of the impact his crimes had on them in court on Monday.
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crimes → expect → Monday
Brand became an international star, acting in Hollywood films, and in latter years an online influencer, but was dogged by whispers and allegations about his danger to women.
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Brand → become → women
He was accused of treating women as a “disposable commodity” and a “means to an end” to satisfy his voracious sexual appetite.
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He → accuse → appetite
The government says it is committed to reducing violence against women and girls by half.
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it → say → half
Burnham told Times Radio: “It’s horrifying what Russell Brand has done.
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Brand → tell → what
And I’d firstly like to praise the bravery of the women, the victims in the case, who’ve come forward and had the courage to speak out.
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who → like → courage
“But yes, the journalists too, who supported those who had been abused by Russell Brand.
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who → support → Brand
So all of them deserve our praise for having that courage to come forward.”
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all → deserve → courage
Later on the BBC, Burnham was asked about a statement of support for Brand in 2014 as the star faced media criticism, and said: “Well, over a decade ago, and all I can say is I had no idea of the full extent of what he was doing or what he went on to do.
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he → ask → what
The comedian Katherine Ryan, who warned of a “predator” in the entertainment industry before Brand’s trial, said she felt relief at his conviction.
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she → warn → conviction
“They came forward despite Russell Brand having fame, power, money and a legion of fans ready to attack them,” she said.
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she → come → them
“I will never be someone who, like, dances on graves.
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who → dance → graves
Bear Grylls, who baptised Brand when he converted to Christianity in 2024, said the star’s faith seemed genuine and added:“It is right that justice has now been served.
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justice → baptise → 2024
I can’t imagine how hard this time has been for the victims, the heroes of the day.”
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time → imagine → day
Brand was cleared of two further charges of rape and one allegation of attempted indecent assault.
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Brand → clear → assault
Brand’s victims told how he “snapped” from charming to nasty as he raped and sexually assaulted them before gaslighting them into believing nothing was wrong.
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nothing → tell → them
The Aporia
