Claims extracted
20
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
0%
0 of 20 hedged
("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
withheld
no quote in the article backed the model's score
Publisher signals
66/100
BBC News's corrections and
hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
11
Politics
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
- Published
A discussion over a staggered age of consent is to take place, the work and pensions secretary has said, as the government faces calls to change the law following allegations against Russell Brand.
asserted
government → publish → Brand
Speaking to the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Pat McFadden said that "appalling" stories of "abuse of power by powerful men" have emerged this week.
asserted
stories → speak → men
A woman who alleges she was raped by the jailed comedian when she was 16 is now campaigning to see the law changed so that relationships between 16-and 17-year-olds and adults would be illegal.
asserted
relationships → allege → olds
Questions over a staggered age of consent have "been raised and will be discussed" McFadden said, adding: "[I] can't tell you what the conclusion of that would be, but the last week has certainly put that up in lights."
Adults of any age are legally able to have sex with 16 and 17-year-olds, under UK law.
asserted
Adults → raise → law
Mia Latter, who has waived her right to anonymity, told the Sunday Times that she wants to see the age of consent to be staggered.
asserted
age → waive → consent
Latter is one of six women who made allegations against Brand in 2023 as part of a Times, Sunday Times and Channel 4's Dispatches investigation.
asserted
who → make → investigation
She was known under the pseudonym "Alice".
asserted
She → know → pseudonym
Brand denied the allegations at the time and none of the six women were complainants in Brand's recent criminal trial.
asserted
none → deny → trial
At Southwark Crown Court on Monday, Brand was sentenced to 10-and-a-half-years imprisonment after being convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault, involving four women between 2004 and 2009.
asserted
Brand → sentence → 2004
He was acquitted of two counts of rape and one allegation of attempted indecent assault.
asserted
He → acquit → assault
Latter said she was 16 when she met the comedian, then 30.
asserted
she → say → comedian
She told the Sunday Times: "I think people were so struck by my story because of the age difference and the clear imbalance [in power]."
asserted
people → tell → power
"I don't want to criminalise teenagers having sex with each other," she told the paper.
asserted
she → want → paper
"If you're between the ages of 16 and 18, it seems reasonable that you can have relationships with each other, and [teenagers] are always going to.
asserted
teenagers → seem → other
But… if you're in your thirties, forties and fifties and you're trying to have a relationship with someone under the age of 18, it [should be] a criminal offence."
asserted
it → try → 18
Helen Whately, the shadow work and pension secretary, told Kuenssberg that it was worth debating the change.
asserted
it → tell → change
Whately said she has teenage daughters and would be concerned if they brought home a man many years older than them.
asserted
they → say → them
"I think any parent would look twice," she said, adding: "let's have the debate".
asserted
's → think → debate
Anna Edmundson, director of policy and social change at the NSPCC charity, said 16–17-year-olds can be particularly vulnerable to grooming by some adults and laws have been changed in recent years to prevent more people in positions of trust from having sexual relationships with children of such an age.
asserted
laws → say → age
She said "other laws are failing to prevent them from being sexually exploited", adding: "Even though they are over the age of consent, young people are still entitled to be protected from harm."
asserted
people → say → harm
The Aporia
