Rapist Russell Brand's day of reckoning as Nandy warns 'time is up' on media industry, claiming 'many people' have made sex abuse claims to her
By RYAN HOOPER, CRIME CORRESPONDENT and DAVID WILCOCK, DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR
Published: | Updated:
Rapist Russell Brand will learn how long he must spend behind bars today amid further claims powerful figures are getting away with abuse.
The 51-year-old comedian-turned-conspiracy theorist will return to Southwark Crown Court in handcuffs to be sentenced for raping a 21-year-old at his home and three historic counts of sexually assaulting other women.
He is believed to have been in solitary confinement at Wandsworth Prison since he was remanded into custody after being convicted by jurors on Thursday, leaving wife Laura bereft.
Fellow inmates at the south London jail are said to be taunting Brand with football-style chants describing him as a nonce – slang for sex offender – which have apparently left him 'cowering in fear'.
Judge Mr Justice Bennathan told Brand he faces an inevitable and lengthy jail term, with rape carrying a potential life sentence, and a maximum determinate prison term of up to 19 years in the most serious cases.
Yesterday, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy became the latest high-profile figure to hint other star names may face sex assault claims in the wake of Brand's conviction.
She said celebrities are likely still committing horrific sexual abuse because the media industry still has not got its act together.
Ms Nandy said that the industry had not learned its lesson despite a slew of recent high-profile cases.
Rapist Russell Brand, pictured above in public for the final time as a free man on Thursday, will be sentenced at Southwark Crown Court today
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told BBC journalist Laura Kuenssberg said 'many people' had come to her with allegations of sexual offending in the media industry
She told BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show: 'I do not see that much has changed in terms of the way that institutions in the media industry and across public life, including politics, deal with women who very bravely come forward to allege abuse.'
Ms Nandy did not name any potential suspects, but added: 'They (victims) are not protected, they work in industries like politics and the media where the power imbalances are huge, where they are often on short-term flexible contracts and where who you know and reputation is often the key to career advancement.
'Speaking up has a very heavy cost... time is up, it really is time for the media industry to take this seriously.'
And she said that behaviour such as Brand's – which took place at his various workplaces as well as in private – was likely not a relic of the past.
She said: 'I think hand on heart, I can't say to you as the Culture Secretary that this is not happening today. In fact, if I had to wager, I would say it is.
'Many people have come forward to me from institutions, including the BBC, to allege that things have happened to them that I obviously raise with media institutions across the board when that happens.'
Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley last week told the Mail that Brand's conviction could be a 'tipping point' for assault charges against other celebrities.
Sir Mark drew comparisons with how the posthumous exposure of Jimmy Savile as a prolific sex offender prompted more victims to come forward, leading to the convictions of other celebrities.
He said: 'When the Jimmy Savile case broke… we saw, all of a sudden, allegations coming forward that led to the conviction of, say, [broadcaster] Rolf Harris and [publicist] Max Clifford.
'So I wouldn't be surprised if certain allegations come forward that may confront other celebrities.'
Brand was found not guilty of two further rape charges and one count of attempted indecent assault, but police have since revealed that more allegations against the former TV and radio host are being investigated.
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