The bravery shown by women who came forward to report Russell Brand will bring about wider changes to the legal system, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said.
Mr Burnham said he would be “relentless in making whatever improvements we can” to provide more support for victims, including making sure there are rape and serious sexual offence teams in every police force.
Former comedian and actor Brand, now 51, was found guilty at Southwark Crown Court last week of raping a woman in 2009, as well as sexually assaulting female TV and radio workers between 2004 and 2009.
The Prime Minister has already vowed to look at changing rules around rape trials to encourage more women to come forward after accusations of “victim blaming” during the case.
Speaking at a hospital in Hertfordshire as Brand’s sentencing hearing was under way, the Prime Minister said: “I’ll be honest and say I don’t think you ever can do enough to get the right support in place for victims to give them the confidence to come forward, because we know that still isn’t there in the way that it should be.
“But I have already taken a decision to make sure there are rape and serious sexual offence teams in every police force by the end of next year.
“It was going to be 2029, I brought it forward, and I kind of lean back on my work as mayor of Greater Manchester in this regard.
“There is so much that needs to be done. We have to bring it forward.
“Obviously today, everybody will be thinking about the women who had the courage to come forward. Their bravery will, I believe, change the system more broadly, and we will be relentless in making whatever improvements we can.
“But there’s no complacency here. There’s a lot more that needs to change.”
Last week, the Prime Minister told Times Radio he would “look closely” at what Sir Mark Rowley said after the Metropolitan Police Commissioner backed calls to change legislation to tackle “rape myths”.
Sir Mark said some of what he heard reported from Brand’s trial was “very close to victim blaming”.
Victims Commissioner Claire Waxman said juries should be warned about “rape myths”, criticising “outdated and harmful assumptions” that victims must have screamed or tried to fight off their attacker.
During Brand’s trial, his lawyer Ian Winter KC told the court that none of the complainants had “resisted or screamed or even tried to leave”.
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