How did Russell Brand evade scrutiny for decades? TV execs accused of turning a blind eye to sexual abuse claims

Some of the offences of which he has been found guilty took place almost two decades ago and questions are now being asked as to how the sexual abuse claims slipped under the radar for so long. The 51-year-old was found guilty of raping a young fan he met after one his Hammersmith Apollo shows in 2009. He was also found guilty of sexually assaulting a Channel 4 worker in 2009 and sexually assaulting a Capital Radio worker after encountering her in a corridor in 2005. Read MoreJurors found Brand guilty of groping a MTV worker during a party at a Soho bar in 2004, but not guilty of going on to orally rape her. He was cleared of two other rapes and one attempted indecent assault. Brand is now expected to face a lengthy prison term when the sentencing takes place on November 9. Laura Gallacher has attended court nearly every day with her husband, Russell BrandGettyA court sketch of Russell Brand as he is found guilty of raping one of his fans and sexually assaulting three womenPAThe verdict comes as the Metropolitan Police confirms the comedian is under investigation for two further counts of rape made against Brand - one of which happened more than 20 years ago when Brand was aged 30. The complainant was a 16-year-old school girl at the time. The verdicts and the new revelations have prompted questions as to how Brand was allowed to get away with his campaign of sexual misconduct for so long. Eyes have turned to TV bosses and showbiz execs who are now being accused by charities of turning a blind eye to Brand’s antics and facilitating a toxic environment. The court heard that one victim was dragged to the toilet by Brand at a bar in Soho in 2004 when she worked for MTV. The victim said the “lad culture” of the time meant she did not report her interaction with Brand at the time, telling the court: ““He was a celebrity and it would be his word against mine.“I just thought the odds weren’t in my favour.”She claimed she told her producer two years later when Brand was rehired. Brand went on to host MTV’s iconic Video Music Awards. Actor and comedian Russell Brand pictured at the 2011 MTV Video Music AwardsGettyThe comedian also sexually assaulted a Choice FM - now rebranded as Capital FM - radio worker at her place of work in 2005, pinning her up against a wall and “sloppily” kissing and groping her. The court heard that Brand’s entourage did not intervene in the attack, laughing as the attack unfolded. Another complainant said she was working for Channel 4 in 2009 when Brand sexually assaulted her by forcing her to give him a massage. Brand’s associates, named in court as Jack Bayles and Gareth Roy, were understood to have laughed while the attack happened. The victim also claimed she reported the assault to bosses, but nothing was done. The now-convicted Brand continued to appear on Channel 4 for the next ten years. While investigations in Brand are still ongoing, nobody in Brand’s entourage is expected to face criminal charges. Russell Brand rose to fame after appearing in Big BrotherPABrand at the 2012 MTV Movie AwardsGettyMr Bayles went on to become Channel 4’s Commissioning Editor of Comedy, commissioning hit-shows like Derry Girls, Stath Lets Flats, and This Way Up. He left the broadcaster in 2017. Mr Roy continued to work with Brand into the late 2010s, co-hosting a podcast with the convicted comedian. Channel 4 claimed in an internal report that two people had raised concerns about Brand prior to his appearance on the Great British Bake Off, but “unsubstantiated rumours” did not eliminate him as a contestant. The BBC has also been caught up in the Brand allegations. A woman claimed Brand exposed himself to her, before later laughing about it on-air during an episode of the Russell Brand show in 2008. The woman did not make a complaint until 11 years later, but nothing was ever done. The BBC published a detailed report in January, looking into eight allegations of misconduct while Brand worked at the broadcaster. In a statement, the BBC said: “It was of great concern to us that some people felt unable to raise concerns about Brand’s behaviour. We apologised to those impacted, for both the culture and failings at the time, and we reiterate that apology again today.”A number of women’s charities have now condemned Brand’s offending and the toxic entertainment and media culture that facilitated the sexual violence.Russell Brand speaks on stage during the MusiCares Person of the Year Award in 2020GettyDeniz Ugur, deputy director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW), said the “incredibly difficult” challenge of reporting rape and sexual assault to the police can be “heightened when the perpetrator has a significant amount of wealth and status and a network of power”.She added: “What we see with powerful perpetrators is that there are often others around them [who] enable abuse or are complicit in it through cultures of silence.“These institutional cultures are found across the entertainment industry, media and beyond, and prevent survivors from accessing justice.“Perpetrators with power, wealth and status are often able to weaponise the law to silence survivors and even the media, through legal threats and NDAs.”Women’s Aid slammed the broadcasters in their duty of care towards employees, branding the verdicts “a wake-up call to broadcasters.” “Too often we have seen men like Russell Brand manipulate their way out of consequences and evade prosecution by asserting their power and money dangerously,” the charity’s chief executive Farah Nazeer said.The charity Refuge added: “The sickening crimes committed by Russell Brand demonstrate how perpetrators in the public eye are often able to act with impunity – with devastating consequences for the survivors affected.”Brand’s case has also been described as a potential “watershed” moment for “laddish culture” during the Noughties. Metropolitan Police Detective Superintendant Andy Furphy (L) and Crown Prosection Service Prosecutor David Roberts address members of the media outside Southwark Crown Court on ThursdayAFP/GettyDetective Superintendent Andy Furphy said: “ “We can see from the pattern of Brand’s behaviour how it escalates in the early part of his career, the imbalance of power created as a result of his status and his celebrity.“I think this is potentially a watershed moment where we look back and think about that laddish culture during that period of time and what was appropriate and what wasn’t.”He also paid tribute to the “extraordinary courage, resilience and determination” of the women who spoke out against Brand.Mr Furphy said: “Despite intense media and public scrutiny, they relived deeply personal and traumatic experiences and placed their trust in us. Without their bravery, this outcome would not have been possible.”“Brand used his influence, status and fame to prey on and exploit women. As his profile grew, so too did his sense of entitlement. I hope this conviction sends a clear message that no one is above the law, no matter how famous or powerful they may be.”The Standard has contacted Channel 4, Capital FM, and MTV for comment.