Alleged Russell Brand rape survivor urges UK to raise age of consent
A 37-year-old woman claims Russell Brand raped her at 16 and calls for the UK age of consent to be increased, sparking fresh debate on sexual‑law reform.
POLICY WIRE — London, United Kingdom — A woman who says she was sexually assaulted by comedian Russell Brand when she was 16 has publicly urged lawmakers to raise the United Kingdom’s age of consent.
The complainant, now 37, told reporters that Brand, then 30, forced her against a headboard and performed oral rape, noting that he referred to her as the child. She disclosed her identity for the first time amid media coverage of the comedian’s alleged ten‑year prison sentence.
She argued that the incident exposed shortcomings in current consent legislation and called on legislators to increase the consent age to better safeguard minors.
The allegations echo earlier tabloid reports and have reignited public discussion, though Brand has denied any wrongdoing and no criminal charges have been filed.
Legal observers point out that any amendment to the age‑of‑consent law would require parliamentary action and could have broader implications for existing sexual‑assault cases.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)