Met police chief urges potential victims of Russell Brand to come forward

The head of Scotland Yard has called for anyone with fresh allegations against the convicted rapist Russell Brand to come forward.

Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan police commissioner, said he would not be surprised if “many more” alleged victims of Brand emerged after the former comedian turned online influencer was on Thursday convicted of rape and sexual assault.

Brand, 51, was described during his trial as a ruthless, calculated and manipulative sexual predator. He was convicted of raping a woman at his luxury London townhouse and of sexually assaulting three women in front of his entourage at their workplaces, at a radio station and TV studio.

Brand is under investigation for two further rape allegations and the Met has submitted files to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Rowley told Times Radio on Friday: “There’s two more rape allegations that we’re looking at. We’re encouraging anybody else to come forward if there’s any other allegations.”

He later added on BBC Breakfast: “I clearly wouldn’t be surprised if many more came forward.”

The charges and ultimate conviction followed a 2023 Channel 4 Dispatches documentary and Times and Sunday Times reports that aired allegations against him.

Dorothy Byrne, a former head of news and current affairs at Channel 4 who has spoken of her own experience of sexual assault, warned of a power disparity between high-profile talent and younger staff on short-term contracts, which she said often prevented victims from speaking out due to fear of professional retaliation.

She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Things are a lot better, particularly in large organisations. But I think that there are still young women, and, I may say, young men, at risk in smaller organisations. There is such a disparity in power between the talent, who’s seen as absolutely key to the success of the programme, and a young person who will be on a very short-term contract and will fear that if she speaks out, she may not be invited back and will be seen as a troublemaker in the industry.”

Byrne said she hoped the Brand case could be a turning point, adding: “I think there will be some men who have behaved badly who will be feeling frightened today because they’ve seen here really brave young women come forward to the police and make a complaint.”