A discussion over a staggered age of consent is to take place, the work and pensions secretary has said, as the government faces calls to change the law following allegations against Russell Brand.
Speaking to the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Pat McFadden said that “appalling” stories of “abuse of power by powerful men” have emerged this week.
A woman who alleges she was raped by the jailed comedian when she was 16 is now campaigning to see the law changed so that relationships between 16-and 17-year-olds and adults would be illegal.
Questions over a staggered age of consent have “been raised and will be discussed” McFadden said, adding: “[I] can’t tell you what the conclusion of that would be, but the last week has certainly put that up in lights.”
Adults of any age are legally able to have sex with 16 and 17-year-olds, under UK law.
Mia Latter, who has waived her right to anonymity, told the Sunday Times that she wants to see the age of consent to be staggered.
Latter is one of six women who made allegations against Brand in 2023 as part of a Times, Sunday Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches investigation.
She was known under the pseudonym “Alice”. Brand denied the allegations at the time and none of the six women were complainants in Brand’s recent criminal trial.
At Southwark Crown Court on Monday, Brand was sentenced to 10-and-a-half-years imprisonment after being convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault, involving four women between 2004 and 2009. He was acquitted of two counts of rape and one allegation of attempted indecent assault.
Latter said she was 16 when she met the comedian, then 30. She told the Sunday Times: “I think people were so struck by my story because of the age difference and the clear imbalance [in power].”
“I don’t want to criminalise teenagers having sex with each other,” she told the paper.
“If you’re between the ages of 16 and 18, it seems reasonable that you can have relationships with each other, and [teenagers] are always going to. But… if you’re in your thirties, forties and fifties and you’re trying to have a relationship with someone under the age of 18, it [should be] a criminal offence.”
Helen Whately, the shadow work and pension secretary, told Kuenssberg that it was worth debating the change.
Whately said she has teenage daughters and would be concerned if they brought home a man many years older than them.
“I think any parent would look twice,” she said, adding: “let’s have the debate”.
Anna Edmundson, director of policy and social change at the NSPCC charity, said 16–17-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 failing to prevent them from being sexually exploited”, adding: “Even though they are over the age of consent, young people are still entitled to be protected from harm.” (BBC News)
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