- Russell Brand sentenced to over ten years for rape.
- Victims displayed bravery; police expect more allegations to surface.
- Conviction highlights ongoing sexual abuse issues in entertainment.
British comedian and actor Russell Brand was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison on Monday after being convicted of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others nearly two decades ago.
The 51-year-old was sentenced at London’s Southwark Crown Court by Judge Joel Bennathan. Brand will serve two-thirds of the sentence in custody before being released on licence.
Brand, who was once one of Britain’s most prominent broadcasters and a Hollywood star, was found guilty last Thursday of offences committed between 2004 and 2009. He had denied all the charges.
Judge Calls Brand A ‘Sexual Predator’
During sentencing, Judge Bennathan described Brand as a “sexual predator” who believed that fame gave him the freedom to act without regard for others.
“Whatever women wear, wherever they go, indeed whatever they drink, they retain the right to say no and to demand justice from the criminal courts when sexual predators like you, Russell Brand, act without their consent,” Bennathan said.
Brand, the former husband of US pop star Katy Perry, mouthed “I love you” to his wife before he was taken to the cells.
Police Praise Victims’ ‘Bravery And Resilience’
Speaking outside court, Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy of London’s Metropolitan Police praised Brand’s victims for their courage in coming forward.
“They have shown immense bravery, dignity and resilience,” Furphy said.
“Their courage in coming forward has not only led to this outcome but may also give confidence to others who have suffered sexual violence to seek help and report what happened to them,” he added.
The Metropolitan Police has said Brand remains under investigation over two other alleged rapes, including one involving a girl who was 16 at the time.
Met Commissioner Mark Rowley said on Friday that he would not be surprised if more people came forward with allegations.
Brand Convicted Of Four Offences After Four-Week Trial
Brand was convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault following a four-week trial.
He was acquitted of two other rape charges and one count of attempted indecent assault.
During the trial, Brand acknowledged that he had spent much of his life engaging in what he described as “reckless philandering and idiocy”, but maintained that sexual consent had always been fundamental to him.
He had denied ever having non-consensual sex.
Victims Describe Lasting Trauma
One of Brand’s victims, who accused him of sexually assaulting her in 2004, said the incident had left her traumatised. Brand was convicted of sexually assaulting her but acquitted of the rape allegation.
“That undeserved feeling of shame and ‘what if I had done this or done that’ has been carried round inside me for over 20 years,” she said in evidence delivered from behind a screen.
Another woman, who said Brand raped her in 2009, said the trauma had been “often” never-ending. In a statement read by prosecutors, she said she did not report the alleged attack at the time because of Brand’s fame and status.
“I felt that if I reported him, I would not be believed,” she said. “His fame, wealth and influence created a power imbalance which made me feel powerless.”
Brand’s Conviction Renews Scrutiny Of Entertainment Industry
Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones told the court that Brand had “abused his influence and the power that came with his fame”.
The conviction has also renewed scrutiny of the culture surrounding sexual abuse allegations in Britain’s entertainment industry.
UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said there remained a problem with sexual abuse in the media industry.
Police and prosecutors, however, stressed that neither a person’s fame nor the passage of time should prevent criminal charges from being pursued.
“No matter who the abuser is, or what the situation or circumstances are, we will always take allegations of rape and sexual assault seriously,” David Roberts of the Crown Prosecution Service said.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: abplive.com
