Work and Pensions Secretary says government will discuss staggered age of consent after Russell Brand case
Following Russell Brand's conviction, the work and pensions secretary announced that the government will consider proposals to introduce a staggered age of consent for 16- and 17-year-olds.
The work and pensions secretary, Pat McFadden, said a discussion on a staggered age of consent will be held after recent high-profile abuse cases involving Russell Brand and David Walliams brought the issue into public focus.
Mia Latter, who has waived anonymity, is campaigning for the law to be changed so that relationships between adults and 16- or 17-year-olds would be criminalised. Latter, one of six women who made allegations against Brand in 2023, told the Sunday Times that the age gap and power imbalance in her alleged encounter when she was 16 and he was 30 highlighted the need for reform.
Brand was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court to 10½ years after being convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault involving four women. He was acquitted of two other rape charges and an allegation of attempted indecent assault.
In a separate matter, the Metropolitan Police launched an investigation into David Walliams over alleged serious sexual offences, stating the probe is distinct from earlier reporting.
McFadden told Sky News that the recent cases have prompted people to view these issues "in a new light" and that questions about a staggered consent age have "been raised and will be discussed". He did not specify what outcome any changes might produce.
Anna Edmundson, director of policy and social change at the NSPCC, noted that 16- and 17-year-olds can be especially vulnerable to grooming and that recent legal reforms have aimed to protect young people from adults in positions of trust.