London Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley said Russell Brand’s conviction may lead more people to report allegations, citing cases in which reports followed sex-crime convictions of prominent figures.
Rowley told the BBC that people had come forward after similar cases. “It does make a difference because people see it is possible, and you will be believed,” he said.
A London jury found Brand guilty Thursday of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. It acquitted him of two other rape charges and one charge of attempted indecent assault, as detailed in EconoTimes’ earlier coverage of the verdict.
Police have said two other alleged rapes remain under investigation. One allegation concerns a girl who was 16 at the time.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham praised the women who reported Brand. Asked about a 2014 post on X supporting the comedian, Burnham said he had not known the full extent of Brand’s behavior then. “His crimes are horrific. He’s rightly been held to account,” Burnham said.
Brand is scheduled to be sentenced Monday.
