Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said Friday he would not be surprised if more people reported allegations against Russell Brand after a London jury convicted the comedian of rape and sexual assault, as detectives said two further rape reports are already under investigation^2,3,4.

Brand, 51, of Oxfordshire, was found guilty Thursday at Southwark Crown Court of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault^2,5. The jury cleared him of two further rape counts and one count of attempted indecent assault^2,3. The Metropolitan Police said the verdicts were unanimous after a four-week trial; the BBC described the trial as three weeks^2,5. Sentencing is listed for Monday, Nov. 9, at the same court^3,5.

Rowley told BBC Breakfast that two more cases were being investigated and that high-profile prosecutions often produce an upsurge in reporting because people see that a case can succeed⁴. He told LBC, “I wouldn’t be surprised if many, many more come forward”³. On Times Radio he said the force was encouraging anyone with other allegations to come forward⁴.

Det Supt Andy Furphy, the Met’s lead on the inquiry, said other women may now have “courage” and “confidence” to speak². In a force statement he said: “I would urge anyone who may have been a victim of rape or serious sexual assault to speak to us”⁵. The Telegraph reported that files on the two further alleged rapes have been submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service³.

The Met said the investigation, Operation Actinolite, began after Channel 4’s Dispatches, The Times and The Sunday Times reported allegations in September 2023^2,5. Detectives said they traced more than 100 witnesses and reviewed more than 1,400 documents^3,5. The Met put witness statements at more than 400; the BBC and Telegraph cited more than 340^2,3,5. Officers said the reports were non-recent, with no CCTV or forensic evidence, and that the offences dated from 2004 to 2009^2,5.

The Independent said Brand is being held at HMP Wandsworth until sentencing and that Mr Justice Bennathan told him he faced a custodial sentence of some length⁴. The Telegraph said he also faces a civil claim of sexual assault filed at the High Court in the United Kingdom³.

Rowley told BBC Radio 4 that some comments reported from the defence case came close to victim blaming and that he supported a legal duty for judges to direct juries on rape myths in every rape trial^3,4. Brand has denied the allegations that went to trial; his account in police interviews, the Met said, was that he did not recognise the women involved⁵.

Anyone wishing to report to Met detectives can email [email protected] or call 101 in the United Kingdom, quoting reference 2321/04NOV26, the force said⁵.