UK government to consider changing age of consent after allegations against Russell Brand

The government has said it will consider calls to change the age of consent after a woman waived her right to anonymity to publicly claim she was raped by Russell Brand as a 16-year-old schoolgirl.

Mia Latter, now 37, alleged she had been orally raped by the jailed comedian when she was a teenager and he was 30 years old.

In an interview with the Sunday Times, she called for the introduction of a staggered age of consent – which would make relationships between adults and teenagers aged 16 and 17 illegal.

Louise Haigh, the de facto deputy prime minister, told the newspaper that Latter’s “heart-breaking story” meant a law change deserved consideration.

She said: “We need to listen to Mia and other victims like her who have been through these experiences because it’s really important that as lawmakers their experience is at the heart of what we consider.

“It clearly would be a massive step to change the age of consent, but it deserves proper consideration and scrutiny. I can absolutely understand why she is calling for it.”

Under UK law, adults of any age are legally able to have sex with 16 and 17-year-olds.

Latter said: “It’s shocking to me time and time again that whenever the news comes up again about him, it’s always in the comments about the relationship with a 16-year-old.

“That’s not the most heinous bit. But why is that the thing that everybody collectively gets stuck on? I think we all sort of agree that … adults shouldn’t be allowed to have sexual relationships with children, with somebody under the age of 18. That really doesn’t seem like a gigantic leap to take.”

Latter was referred to under the pseudonym of Alice in previous reporting by the Sunday Times, the Times, and Channel 4’s Dispatches documentary.

She was 16 when she first met Brand in Leicester Square, central London, while she was on her way home from a shopping trip.

He took her number and later messaged her, asking if she wanted to go for dinner, she said.

She told the newspaper that Brand – who was working at MTV at the time – still asked her to meet after she had confessed her age to him.

Latter alleges Brand orally raped her towards the end of their three-month relationship.

Brand denied all of the allegations made against him by Latter when they were first reported in 2023 by the Times.

She spoke to the police after the documentary, but the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided not to include her case in Brand’s trial at Southwark Crown Court.

He was convicted of attacks against four of the six women who gave evidence against him, and is now serving a 10-and-a-half-year prison term for one count of rape and three sexual assaults.

Earlier this week, it was announced that a series of “serious” sex offence allegations against comedian David Walliams are being probed by the Metropolitan police after an investigation by the Guardian and ITV News.

One woman described her alleged encounter with Walliams when she was 15 as “sexual assault”.

Walliams denies any wrongdoing.

Haigh went on to say that, in light of news that one of Walliams’s accusers was asked to sign a non disclosure agreement (NDA), the government should also look at banning them in cases of alleged sexual assault and harassment. She said: “When we consider the allegations against David Walliams, teenagers who were fans wouldn’t come under the current consultation.

“I do think there is a very strong case to look at banning NDAs in all circumstances where they relate to harassment or discrimination, to make sure that no victim, regardless of where it happened or what their relationship was with the perpetrator, should ever be silenced.”

It is believed MPs outside Labour may support a bill to change the age of consent laws, with Jess Brown-Fuller, the Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson, coming out in favour of reviewing them.

Commending Latter for the “extraordinary bravery” it took to waive her anonymity, Brown-Fuller said: “I think we must go further to increase protections for young women and girls, and looking at a staggered age of consent is an important step.

“We already have rules that recognise power imbalances in professions: between teachers and students, or barristers and junior colleagues. It’s time for the government to recognise the implicit power imbalance held by older men over teenage girls.”

Latter’s decision to come forward was also praised by Bridget Phillipson, the minister for women and equalities, who said she “and thousands of others across the country will be in awe of her courage and determination”. She added that it is “up to all of us to send a message to women and girls who experience sexual violence: the shame is not yours. Women like Mia are leading the charge, but we can and must do more to make this a moment of change.”

Latter’s allegation was reported to the Met police, who said the investigation into the alleged rape remains ongoing.

A Met Police spokesperson said: “Officers launched an investigation in January 2026 after receiving an allegation of rape.

“Detectives sought advice from the Crown Prosecution Service to determine how best to proceed, and officers were advised that further information was needed before a charging decision could be made.

“This investigation remains ongoing. We understand the delay has been distressing for this victim-survivor. However, our focus has been on putting forward the best possible evidence.”

The CPS said: “The Crown Prosecution Service will continue to work closely with investigators to provide advice and make sure cases progress as quickly as possible.”