A woman who was sixteen when she met Russell Brand in London has, at thirty-seven, stepped out from legal anonymity to say what she alleges followed, and in doing so has moved a question long sheltered by the law into open debate. The British state now says it will weigh whether the age of consent should be raised for relationships with adults, a change that would reach past one famous case into the ordinary rules that govern how adults and teenagers may relate. Brand, already serving a long sentence for other crimes, denies these allegations, and the police inquiry into them is still unresolv
UK Government Will Consider Changing Age of Consent After Russell Brand Allegations
Mia Latter alleges she was orally raped by Russell Brand at 16, and a woman says a Walliams encounter at 15 was sexual assault.
A woman who was sixteen when she met Russell Brand in London has, at thirty-seven, stepped out from legal anonymity to say what she alleges followed, and in doing so has moved a question long sheltered by the law into open debate. The British state now says it will weigh whether the age of consent should be raised for relationships with adults, a change that would reach past one famous case into the ordinary rules that govern how adults and teenagers may relate. Brand, already serving a long sentence for other crimes, denies these allegations, and the police inquiry into them is still unresolved. What unfolds now is less a verdict than a test of whether a society can look at a harm it once tolerated and decide, deliberately, to name it differently.
Mia Latter was sixteen when, on her way home from a shopping trip, she met Russell Brand in Leicester Square. He took her number and later asked her to dinner. Now thirty-seven, she has given up her anonymity to describe what she alleges happened next, and her account has pushed the government to say it will consider changing the age of consent.
She told the Sunday Times that Brand, then working at MTV and thirty years old, still wanted to see her after she told him her age. She alleges he orally raped her toward the end of a three-month relationship. Brand denied all the allegations when they first surfaced in 2023. He is now serving a prison sentence for other offences, and Latter's case was left out of that trial after the Crown Prosecution Service declined to include it.
Latter has asked for a staggered age of consent that would make relationships between adults and sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds illegal. She is struck that public comment on Brand fixates on the relationship with a sixteen-year-old, when she believes the wider harm matters most. Most people, she argued, already agree adults should not have sexual relationships with anyone under eighteen, and writing that into law would not be a gigantic leap.
Deputy Prime Minister Louise Haigh called her story heartbreaking and said changing the law was a massive step that still deserved proper scrutiny. Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Jess Brown-Fuller backed a review and pointed to existing rules recognising power imbalances between teachers and students. Bridget Phillipson praised Latter's courage and said the shame belongs to those who abused her, not to her.
The debate has also reached non-disclosure agreements, after the Metropolitan Police confirmed it is examining allegations against comedian David Walliams, who denies wrongdoing. Haigh said there is a strong case for banning NDAs where they relate to harassment or discrimination.
Latter's own allegation remains under police investigation, opened in January 2026, with the CPS asking for more evidence before a charging decision. The Met says the delay has been distressing and that it is focused on building the strongest possible case. What comes next is whether the government's consideration becomes a formal proposal, and whether a cross-party bill takes shape.
Mia Latter was 16 when, on her way home from a shopping trip, she met Russell Brand in Leicester Square in central London. He took her number and later messaged to ask whether she wanted to go for dinner. Now 37, she has given up her legal anonymity to say what she alleges happened next, and her account has pushed the British government to say it will consider changing the age of consent.
Latter told the Sunday Times that Brand, who was working at MTV at the time, still asked to meet her after she had told him her age. He was 30. She alleges that he orally raped her toward the end of a three-month relationship. Brand denied all of the allegations when the Times first reported them in 2023. In earlier reporting by the Sunday Times, the Times and Channel 4's Dispatches documentary, she was referred to under the pseudonym Alice.
Brand is now serving a prison term of ten and a half years for one count of rape and three sexual assaults. He was convicted of attacks against four of the six women who gave evidence against him at Southwark Crown Court. Latter's case was not part of that trial: she spoke to police after the documentary, but the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to include it.
In her interview, Latter called for a staggered age of consent, which would make relationships between adults and 16- and 17-year-olds illegal. Under current UK law, adults of any age may legally have sex with people of those ages. She said she is struck that whenever Brand returns to the news, the comments fixate on the relationship with a 16-year-old, which she says is not the most heinous part. She argued that most people already agree adults should not have sexual relationships with anyone under 18, and that writing it into law would not be a gigantic leap.
Louise Haigh, described as the de facto deputy prime minister, told the Sunday Times that Latter's "heart-breaking story" meant a change deserved consideration. She called altering the age of consent a massive step, but one that merits proper consideration and scrutiny, and said she could understand why Latter is asking for it. Lawmakers, she said, must keep victims' experience at the heart of what they weigh.
Support is not confined to Labour. Jess Brown-Fuller, the Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson, backed a review and praised Latter's "extraordinary bravery." She pointed out that existing rules already recognise power imbalances between teachers and students, or between barristers and junior colleagues, and said it is time to recognise the imbalance between older men and teenage girls. It is believed MPs outside Labour may back a bill on the subject. Bridget Phillipson, the minister for women and equalities, said she and thousands of others would be in awe of Latter's courage, and that the shame is not the victim's.
Haigh also raised non-disclosure agreements. Earlier in the week, the Metropolitan Police confirmed it is examining a series of serious sex offence allegations against comedian David Walliams, following an investigation by the Guardian and ITV News. One woman described an alleged encounter with him when she was 15 as sexual assault, and one accuser was reportedly asked to sign an NDA. Walliams denies any wrongdoing. Haigh said teenage fans in such cases would fall outside the current consultation, and that there is a strong case for banning NDAs wherever they relate to harassment or discrimination.
Latter's own allegation remains under police investigation. The Met said officers opened it in January 2026 after receiving an allegation of rape, sought CPS advice, and were told more information was needed before a charging decision. It acknowledged the delay has been distressing for her, but said its focus is on putting forward the best possible evidence. The CPS said it will keep working with investigators so cases progress as quickly as possible. What to watch next: whether the government's consideration becomes a formal proposal, and whether a cross-party bill emerges.
Citazioni salienti
It clearly would be a massive step to change the age of consent, but it deserves proper consideration and scrutiny.— Louise Haigh, de facto deputy prime minister
Latter says adults shouldn't be allowed sexual relationships with anyone under 18, and that this is not a gigantic leap.— Mia Latter, paraphrased from Sunday Times interview
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