One of the women who spoke to UK media about Russell Brand's alleged sexual misconduct before his criminal trial has waived her right to anonymity.
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who → speak → anonymity
Mia Latter says Brand raped her while the pair were in a relationship when she was 16.
What's next?
She is fighting for changes to the UK's consent laws.
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She → say → laws
A woman who alleges she was raped by Russell Brand while in a relationship with him as a 16-year-old says he was a "monstrous person" who would refer to her as "the child".
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who → allege → child
Warning: This article includes allegations of sexual assault some readers may find distressing.
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readers → include → assault
Mia Latter was known as 'Alice' in a 2023 joint investigation by The Times, The Sunday Times and Channel 4 about Russell Brand.
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Latter → know → Brand
She alleged that Brand groomed her, was emotionally abusive, controlling and sexually abused her.
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Brand → allege → her
He denied those allegations at the time.
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He → deny → time
On Monday, Brand was sentenced to 10 years in prison for rape and three counts of sexual assault in relation to separate complaints.
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Brand → sentence → complaints
In the UK, victims and alleged victims of sexual offences are automatically entitled to lifelong anonymity, but can choose to waive that right.
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victims → allege → right
Ms Latter, who was not a complainant in the trial, decided to reveal her identity in an overnight interview with the Sunday Times.
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who → decide → Times
"Feeling incredibly nervous about it [speaking] because I know that it will open me up to lots of unwanted commentary, but it also feels incredibly important," the 37-year-old told the newspaper.
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old → feel → newspaper
"It's not my shame and it's not my burden to carry anymore."
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it → carry → ?
Ms Latter said she met Brand in London when she was 16 and he was 30, when he approached her and asked her on a date.
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he → say → date
She said she told him she was 16, and that he replied that he did not care, but just needed "to know where I stand legally."
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I → say → him
Ms Latter said their relationship lasted around three months, during which he allegedly orally raped her.
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he → say → her
"People around me … they begged me not to see him, and it felt like an extra humiliation when he did assault me," she said.
"
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she → beg → me
Ms Latter said Brand fetishised her for being young.
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Brand → say → her
"He carried me around wrapped up in a towel like I was a baby, called me 'the child' or 'his little dolly', and would put me in the bath and bathe me," she said.
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she → carry → me
Removed from trial over Brand's interview
In April, Brand acknowledged that he had been in a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old, in an interview with Megyn Kelly.
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he → remove → Kelly
"I did sleep with a 16-year-old when I was 30, but when I was 30, I was a very different person," Brand said at the time.
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Brand → sleep → time
Ms Latter said following that interview, the police decided to remove her from the trial.
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police → say → trial
"They didn't want it to become the 'Alice show'," she said.
"I took it very badly, I was in a bad place … it just felt so unfair."
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it → want → place
Ms Latter said she was asked to be part of a second trial, but has removed herself from the process.
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she → say → process
"I just don't know what capacity I have to give years more of my life to this, for my head to be occupied with these awful crimes," she said.
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she → know → crimes
"There were other women that shared their stories as part of the investigation, and I feel like justice has been served."
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justice → be → investigation
The Sunday Times reported that in a statement, the Metropolitan Police said they launched an investigation in January into an allegation of rape, but that investigation was ongoing.
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investigation → report → rape
"We understand the delay has been distressing for this victim survivor.
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delay → understand → survivor
However, our focus has been on putting forward the best possible evidence," they said.
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they → put → evidence
Fighting for changes to consent laws
One of the main reasons Ms Latter said she was speaking out was to advocate for a staggered age of consent.
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she → fight → consent
The current age of consent is 16 in the United Kingdom, regardless of gender, and there are added protections for those under the age of 18.
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age → be → 18
Ms Latter wants the age of consent increased when the partner is older.
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partner → want → consent
"If you're in your 30s, 40s, and 50s and you're trying to have a relationship with someone under the age of 18, it's a criminal offence," she proposed.
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she → try → 18
Ms Latter said if added measures had been in place when she was 16, her parents could have stopped her from being with Brand.
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parents → say → Brand
"It would have been illegal for me to be staying at his house, [for him to] be having a sexual relationship with me, so the subsequent sexual assault would never have happened," she said.
"
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she → stay → me
My parents did all the things; they took my phone away from me, my mother grounded me … but they can't keep me under lock and key the whole time, which they tried to do, but they failed."
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they → do → which
The Aporia
