A woman who claims she was orally raped by Russell Brand when she was a 16-year-old schoolgirl is calling for the UK age of consent law to be changed, and the government has said it will examine the issue.
Mia Latter, now 37, alleges the attack happened when she was a teenager and Brand was aged 30, after he forced her against the headboard of a bed. In an interview with The Sunday Times, Ms Latter, who has waived her right to anonymity, urged the introduction of a staggered age of consent that would make relationships between adults and teenagers aged 16 and 17 illegal.
Government response to the appeal
Louise Haigh, the de facto deputy prime minister, told the newspaper that "Mia's heart-breaking story" meant a law change deserved consideration. She said: "We need to listen to Mia and other victims like her who have been through these experiences, because it's really important that as lawmakers their experience is at the heart of what we consider."
She added: "It clearly would be a massive step to change the age of consent, but it deserves proper consideration and scrutiny. I can absolutely understand why she is calling for it."
Under UK law, adults of any age are legally permitted to have sex with 16 and 17-year-olds.
Ms Latter's account
Ms Latter told the paper: "It's shocking to me time and time again that whenever the news comes up again about him, it's always in the comments about the relationship with a 16-year-old. That's not the most heinous bit. But why is that the thing that everybody collectively gets stuck on? I think we all sort of agree that ... adults shouldn't be allowed to have sexual relationships with children, with somebody under the age of 18. That really doesn't seem like a gigantic leap to take."
Ms Latter was identified under the pseudonym Alice in earlier coverage by the Sunday Times, The Times, and the Channel 4 Dispatches documentary. She states she was 16 when she initially encountered Brand in Leicester Square, central London, while heading home from a shopping excursion. He obtained her number, subsequently messaged her, and asked if she wanted to go for dinner, she alleges.
She told the newspaper that Brand, who was employed at MTV at the time, still asked her to meet after she had revealed her age to him. Ms Latter alleges Brand orally raped her towards the conclusion of their three-month relationship.
Allegation and ongoing investigation
In the interview, she claimed: "He ended up forcing me against the headboard [of the bed], and I couldn't move, and he orally raped me – and I was choking and crying. I was trying to push him off, so he knew that I didn't want him to be doing that, and so then I ended up having to hit him in the stomach to get him off. I've never hit anyone [before] and ... he said: 'I just wanted to see your mascara run.'"
Ms Latter's allegations were referred to the Metropolitan Police, who confirmed that the investigation into the alleged rape is still active. A Met Police spokesperson stated: "Officers launched an investigation in January 2026 after receiving an allegation of rape. Detectives sought advice from the Crown Prosecution Service to determine how best to proceed, and officers were advised that further information was needed before a charging decision could be made. This investigation remains ongoing. We understand the delay has been distressing for this victim-survivor. However, our focus has been on putting forward the best possible evidence."
The Crown Prosecution Service commented: "The Crown Prosecution Service will continue to work closely with investigators to provide advice and make sure cases progress as quickly as possible."
Brand was found guilty of attacks against four of the six women who testified against him, and is currently serving a 10-and-a-half-year prison sentence for one count of rape and three sexual assaults.
