Staggered age of consent to be discussed after Brand case, minister says

Speaking with the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Pat McFadden stated that “appalling” stories of “abuse of power by powerful men” have actually emerged today.

A female who declares she was raped by imprisoned comic Brand when she was 16 is now campaigning to see the law altered so that relationships in between 16 and 17-year-olds and grownups would be unlawful.

Concerns over a staggered age of approval have “been raised and will be discussed” McFadden stated, including: ” can’t tell you what the conclusion of that would be, but the last week has certainly put that up in lights.”

Grownups of any age are lawfully able to make love with 16 and 17-year-olds, under UK law.

Mia Latter, who has actually waived her right to privacy, informed the Sunday Times that she desires the age of authorization to be staggered.

Latter is among 6 ladies who made accusations versus Brand in 2023 as part of a Times, Sunday Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches examination.

She was understood by the pseudonym “Alice”Brand name rejected the claims at the time and none of the 6 females were plaintiffs in Brand’s current criminal trial.

At Southwark Crown Court on Monday, Brand was sentenced to 10-and-a-half-years jail time after being founded guilty of one count of rape and 3 counts of sexual attack, including 4 ladies in between 2004 and 2009. He was acquitted of 2 counts of rape and one claims of tried indecent attack.

Latter stated she was 16 when she satisfied the comic, then 30. She informed the Sunday Times: “I think people were so struck by my story because of the age difference and the clear imbalance .

“I do not wish to criminalise teens making love with each other.

“If you’re between the ages of 16 and 18, it seems reasonable that you can have relationships with each other, and are always going to.

“… if you’re in your thirties, forties and fifties and you’re attempting to have a relationship with somebody under the age of 18, it a criminal offense.”

Layla Stone, founder of the campaign group Close the Consent Gap, said bringing in a staggered age of consent was about addressing a “power imbalance” in relationships involving 16 and 17 year-olds and adults. She urged ministers to commit to such a change.

Stone, a child protection social worker, told the BBC that 16 and 17 year-olds were seen as children in “every structure of the law” and “we do not think old sufficient to grant making love with much older grownups”.

Close the Consent Gap is proposing that 16 year-olds would not be able to have a sexual relationship with anyone older than 19, and that someone aged 17 would be prohibited from a relationship with anyone older than 20.

Further allegations of sexual misconduct in the entertainment industry came in the same week Brand was convicted.

ITV News and the Guardian published a story alleging that comedian David Walliams had been accused of sexual misconduct by several women.

One woman said she now characterises her alleged encounter with Walliams at 15 years old as a “sexual attack”. Walliams strongly denied he had any sexual contact with the girl.

Other women alleged inappropriate behaviour when he was a judge at ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent, such as inviting girls and young women to his dressing room.

Walliams said he rejected any allegations of criminal activity and that he has never engaged in the grooming of young women.

The Metropolitan Police said on Friday it has launched an investigation into Walliams over reports of “declared severe sexual offenses”, after the ITV News and the Guardian story. The Met said that the allegations it is investigating are separate from those reported by ITV and the Guardian but that it was “Proactively evaluating that reporting”.

Speaking to Sky News, the work and pensions secretary said: “I do believe that in between Russell Brand, David Walliams, what’s been put out there, individuals are taking a look at these problems in a brand-new light.”

Whately stated she has teenage children and would be worried if they brought home a guy several years older than them.

“I believe any moms and dad would look two times,” she said, adding: “Let’s have the argument.”

Anna Edmundson, director of policy and social change at the NSPCC charity, said 16 and 17-year-olds can be particularly vulnerable to grooming by some adults and laws have been changed in recent years to prevent more people in positions of trust from having sexual relationships with children of such an age.

She said “other laws are stopping working to avoid them from being sexually made use of”, adding: “Despite the fact that they are over the age of approval, youths are still entitled to be safeguarded from damage.”