- Published
Warning: Details of rape and sexual assault
More victims of disgraced comedian Russell Brand are likely to come forward now that he has been found guilty of rape and sexual assault, the detective who led the police investigation has said.
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who → publish → investigation
Det Supt Andy Furphy, from the Metropolitan Police, said he hoped other women would gain "courage" and "confidence" from the guilty verdicts.
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women → say → verdicts
Brand has been found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault by a jury of eight men and four women at Southwark Crown Court, following a three-week trial.
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Brand → find → trial
He was found not guilty of two counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault.
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He → find → assault
Brand is being investigated over further rape allegations made by two women, it can now be reported.
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it → investigate → women
'Ruthless'
Brand had initially been coy and quiet in police interviews, said Furphy, but became bolder as officers continued to question him.
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officers → say → him
"As he gets used to something, he becomes more emboldened by it," Furphy said.
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Furphy → get → it
"You can certainly see that in his offending."
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You → see → offending
Hundreds of people were interviewed as part of the investigation and officers said several witnesses came forward, some of whom had previously had a sexual relationship with Brand.
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some → interview → Brand
Katy Perry, the US singer who was married to Brand from 2010 to 2012, was not interviewed.
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who → marry → 2012
Brand, 51, who was described in court as "ruthless" and a "sexual predator", was once one of the UK's most high-profile and in-demand entertainers.
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who → describe → demand
Some of the women said they have been left "haunted for years" by what he did to them.
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he → say → them
Speaking to the BBC, officers working on the three-year Metropolitan Police investigation described how bringing Brand to justice was not without its challenges.
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bringing → speak → challenges
Allegations about Brand's behaviour first emerged in the media in September 2023.
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Allegations → emerge → September
The Times, Sunday Times and Channel 4's Dispatches programme jointly reported that four women had accused him of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse - claims he strongly denied.
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he → report → claims
The investigation into other reports against Brand began soon after the story broke.
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story → begin → Brand
"We kind of assumed that people might want to come forward," Furphy said, "and people came forward."
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people → assume → ?
Victim reports were made to forces across the country and the Met set up a dedicated team of officers to lead the investigation, which it called Operation Actinolite.
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it → make → which
Officers said they have since taken more than 340 witness statements - including from Brand's former employers, his ex-colleagues and associates.
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they → say → employers
One officer was assigned to read Brand's books, watch his stand-up routines and DVDs and listen to his podcasts to help build the case.
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officer → assign → case
His high profile and the intense media scrutiny around him proved a challenge to officers, said Furphy.
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Furphy → prove → officers
The earliest dated back 27 years.
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earliest → date → ?
It meant there was no CCTV and no forensic evidence to work with.
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It → mean → ?
Furphy said police had to look for other ways to build their case.
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police → say → case
"Can we look at where the victims were at the time?
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victims → look → time
Who did they speak to in the aftermath of it?
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they → speak → it
Did they tell anybody else?
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they → tell → anybody
What other available material is there for us to review that might lend some weight to it?
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that → review → it
Just because it's non-recent doesn't mean that we can't solve it at all."
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we → mean → it
Brand's former friend was called to court to give evidence for the prosecution, while a statement from the parents of one of the women was heard.
The entertainer's former personal assistant, who worked closely with Brand, told the jury about his "insane sexual appetite".
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who → call → appetite
Two months after the police investigation began, Brand was interviewed under caution for the first time.
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Brand → begin → time
He was interviewed on two further occasions in the following months.
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He → interview → months
In each interview he provided officers with a prepared statement, which said he did not recognise the complainants or recall the alleged incidents and that if any sexual activity had taken place, it would have been consensual.
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it → provide → place
He then answered "no comment" to the officers' questions.
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He → answer → questions
Charges were brought against Brand in early April 2025: one count of rape, one count of oral rape, two charges of sexual assault and one allegation of indecent assault.
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Charges → bring → assault
The final charge would later be changed to attempted indecent assault at his trial.
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charge → change → trial
The charges all related to women who had come forward since the initial Channel 4 documentary.
The following month he appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court, in London.
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he → relate → London
He was swarmed by camera crews, so much so that it took him more than two minutes to walk the short distance to the court door.
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it → swarm → door
At a later court hearing he pleaded not guilty to the charges.
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he → plead → charges
Meanwhile, women continued to come forward with more allegations.
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women → continue → allegations
…and 9 more, not listed.
The Aporia
