NAIROBI, Kenya – The United Kingdom government is considering calls to review the country’s age-of-consent laws after a woman publicly accused comedian Russell Brand of raping her when she was 16.
Mia Latter, now 37, waived her right to anonymity to speak publicly about the allegation and campaign for stronger legal protections for teenagers involved in relationships with significantly older adults.
Latter alleges that Brand, who was 30 at the time, orally raped her towards the end of a relationship that lasted approximately three months. The allegation has not resulted in a conviction, and the Metropolitan Police say their investigation remains ongoing.
Her account has prompted renewed debate over whether the legal age of consent should be adjusted to provide additional protection to 16- and 17-year-olds.
Louise Haigh Says Proposed Legal Change Deserves Scrutiny
First Secretary of State Louise Haigh said the proposal to introduce a staggered age of consent deserved proper consideration, acknowledging the experiences of Latter and other victims of sexual abuse.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, Haigh said lawmakers needed to place victims’ experiences at the centre of discussions about potential changes to the law.
She acknowledged that changing the age-of-consent framework would be a significant step but said she understood why Latter was advocating for reform.
Under the law in England and Wales, the age of consent is 16. However, additional protections apply to 16- and 17-year-olds in certain circumstances, including where an adult occupies a position of trust or exploits a young person’s vulnerability.
Latter is calling for a staggered system that would make sexual relationships between adults above a specified age and teenagers aged 16 and 17 illegal.
She argued that the existing framework does not adequately address the power imbalance that can arise when considerably older adults pursue teenagers.
Russell Brand Allegation Remains Under Police Investigation
Latter said she first encountered Brand in Leicester Square, London, when she was 16 and returning home from a shopping trip.
According to her account, Brand, who was working at MTV at the time, obtained her telephone number and later invited her to dinner.
She said he continued pursuing the relationship after she disclosed her age.
The woman, previously identified as Alice in media reports, said she eventually reported the alleged assault to police following the 2023 investigation into Brand’s conduct.
The Crown Prosecution Service did not include her allegation in the trial that resulted in Brand’s conviction.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that officers opened an investigation in January 2026 after receiving a rape allegation. Detectives sought advice from prosecutors, who requested further information before a charging decision could be made.
The force said the investigation remained ongoing and acknowledged the distress caused by the delay.
Brand has denied allegations made against him by Latter, according to earlier reporting.
His separate criminal case ended with a conviction on November 5, 2026, when a jury found him guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault involving four women.
He was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison on November 9. He was acquitted of two other rape charges and one count of attempted indecent assault.
David Walliams Allegations Renew Debate Over NDAs
The age-of-consent debate has also emerged alongside allegations involving comedian David Walliams, which are being examined by the Metropolitan Police following reporting by The Guardian and ITV News.
One woman has described an alleged encounter with Walliams when she was 15 as sexual assault. Walliams denies wrongdoing.
Haigh said the government should also examine whether non-disclosure agreements should be prohibited in cases involving alleged sexual harassment or discrimination.
Her comments followed reports that one of Walliams’s accusers had been asked to sign an NDA.
She argued that victims should not be prevented from speaking about alleged abuse because of agreements designed to restrict disclosure.
Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Jess Brown-Fuller also backed examining a staggered age-of-consent framework, saying stronger safeguards were needed to address power imbalances between older adults and teenage girls.
Meanwhile, Women and Equalities Minister Bridget Phillipson praised Latter for speaking publicly, saying her decision could encourage broader action to protect women and girls.
No Change to Age-of-Consent Law Announced
Despite the growing calls for reform, the government has not announced a new age-of-consent threshold or introduced legislation to change the existing framework.
Haigh’s comments indicate that the proposal deserves consideration, but any reform would require further scrutiny and a formal legislative process.
The debate is likely to involve questions about how to protect teenagers from exploitation while defining the circumstances in which relationships involving 16- and 17-year-olds should become criminal offences.
For Latter, the campaign is about ensuring that teenagers are better protected from relationships involving significant differences in age, influence and power.
