Key facts
- Mia Latter, now 37, alleged Russell Brand orally raped her when she was 16 and he was 30.
- Louise Haigh said changing the age of consent would be a massive step but deserves proper consideration and scrutiny.
- Under UK law, adults of any age are legally able to have sex with 16 and 17-year-olds.
- Brand is serving a 10-and-a-half-year prison term for one count of rape and three sexual assaults.
- The Metropolitan Police said its investigation into Latter's allegation, opened in January 2026, remains ongoing.
- Haigh also said the government should look at banning NDAs in cases of alleged sexual assault and harassment.
The UK government said it will consider calls to change the age of consent after Mia Latter, now 37, waived her right to anonymity to allege that Russell Brand orally raped her when she was a 16-year-old schoolgirl and he was 30. In an interview with the Sunday Times, Latter called for a staggered age of consent that would make relationships between adults and teenagers aged 16 and 17 illegal.
Louise Haigh, the de facto deputy prime minister, told the newspaper that Latter's heart-breaking story meant a law change deserved consideration. She said it would be a massive step to change the age of consent but that it deserves proper consideration and scrutiny, and that she could understand why Latter is calling for it. Under UK law, adults of any age are legally able to have sex with 16 and 17-year-olds.
Latter said she was 16 when she first met Brand in Leicester Square, central London, while on her way home from a shopping trip. She told the newspaper that Brand, who was working at MTV at the time, still asked her to meet after she had confessed her age to him. Latter alleges Brand orally raped her toward the end of their three-month relationship. Brand denied all of the allegations made against him by Latter when they were first reported in 2023 by the Times.
Latter spoke to the police after a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary, but the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to include her case in Brand's trial at Southwark Crown Court. He was convicted of attacks against four of the six women who gave evidence against him and is now serving a 10-and-a-half-year prison term for one count of rape and three sexual assaults.
The Metropolitan Police said officers launched an investigation in January 2026 after receiving an allegation of rape and that detectives sought advice from the Crown Prosecution Service. The force said officers were advised that further information was needed before a charging decision could be made and that the investigation remains ongoing. The Crown Prosecution Service said it will continue to work closely with investigators to provide advice and make sure cases progress as quickly as possible.
Haigh also said that, in light of news that one of David Walliams's accusers was asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement, the government should look at banning NDAs in cases of alleged sexual assault and harassment. Walliams denies any wrongdoing. Jess Brown-Fuller, the Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson, came out in favor of reviewing the age of consent and said the government must go further to increase protections for young women and girls. Bridget Phillipson, the minister for women and equalities, praised Latter's courage and determination.