Russell Brand is the subject of a new police investigation after at least eight women accused him of sexual assault and predatory behaviour. The new reports were made after his conviction for rape and three sexual assaults.
Brand was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison for offences against four women committed between 2004 and 2009. He denied the allegations and maintained that the sexual encounters had been consensual.
Police investigating new allegations
According to Daily Mail, detectives are assessing information from more than six new complainants. At the same time, final work is being carried out on the material concerning two other women before it is referred to the Crown Prosecution Service. One of the allegations concerns the alleged rape of a 16-year-old girl.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that „several people have contacted the investigation team during and after the conclusion of the trial to provide information or report a potential offence“. The information is still being assessed, and there have been no court rulings on the new allegations.
New allegations against the former comedian
One of Brand's former girlfriends says in a new Netflix documentary that he subjected her to controlling behaviour and sexual assault. She claims that he made her brush her teeth repeatedly because he did not want to taste her, until her gums began to bleed.
„He was standing over me, and I kept brushing my teeth and saw that they were starting to bleed,“ the woman says.According to her, on another occasion Brand broke her phone after discovering that she was speaking to her former partner. She also claims that he then sexually assaulted her in a hotel room.
Six women, identified by pseudonyms, have told „The Times“ about alleged assaults. One of them claims that Brand continued sexual contact after she asked him to stop because she was in pain.
„I say, „It hurts,“ and he doesn't stop. Then it becomes even more painful and I tell him, „Stop,“ but he doesn't stop,“ the woman claims.Other reports concern allegations of choking and sexual assault at a hotel, as well as an attempt to pull a woman towards a disabled toilet at a London venue in 2015.
What happens next
Police continue to gather and assess the information. Materials concerning two of the new allegations have already been handed to prosecutors, who must decide whether there are sufficient grounds to bring charges.
Following the conviction, police also urged other women who believe they were victims of Brand to contact the investigation team. At this stage, the new allegations remain under investigation and do not constitute proven guilt.
Sources: dailymail.com, theguardian.com, news.sky.com