Will Russell Brand's conviction be a 'watershed' moment for rape victims? No, argues psychologist Dr Jessica Taylor on exclusive Trial podcast

On an exclusive episode of The Trial podcast, brought to you by The Crime Desk, hosts Caroline Cheetham and Liz Hull are joined by chartered psychologist Dr Jessica Taylor, an expert on rape and sexual violence, to reflect on the wider cultural implications of Russell Brand's guilty verdict.Brand, 51, was jailed for ten and a half years on Monday, days after a jury found him guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault.While Dr Taylor hailed the verdicts as a legal win for rape victims, particularly as the crimes occurred up to two decades ago, the psychologist admitted she was 'really cynical' that the trial would impact how wider society views crimes against women.She pointed to a rise in misogyny online, mentioning Brand as an example. He had pushed the 'manosphere' narrative that women make false allegations to destroy men's lives, she said, and in doing so had gained 2 million followers on social media during the trial.'What we may well find is that Brand has built an audience of men who believe he has been falsely accused,' she explained.'People who think that women are using sexual violence accusations as a weapon against men, and that this is about female supremacy, destroying patriarchy. Brand, 51, was jailed for ten and a half years on Monday, days after a jury found him guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault'Brand said they were deliberate, false allegations to essentially destroy him, and it was part of a conspiracy against him.'This narrative is gaining traction and more and more men and boys... are being sucked into it.'Asked directly whether Brand's case could be a 'watershed moment', Dr Taylor was blunt.'I have been doing this for 17 years, since I was 19 years old. I have seen everything. I have worked in courts, this is all I have ever done. Every time it feels like a watershed moment, it just isn't,' she said.'The strength of the culture around [sexual violence] is immense. It's global, it's woven into everything.'Is this a good outcome for victims? Yes, and I am glad he has got a custodial sentence. I think it does send a message.'Is it going to create widespread cultural change? Probably not.'Elsewhere in the podcast, however, Dr Taylor said it was encouraging that a majority male jury, made up of eight men and four women, had found Brand guilty.Just as significant, she said, was that the jury convicted even though the case rested largely on the women's own accounts, without DNA or forensic evidence.'There was a very large chance that this was going to go fully not guilty,' she explained.'This is a very large international public demonstration that so-called historic allegations, where women have come forward years later... have resulted in a successful conviction. Dr Taylor said it was encouraging that a majority male jury, made up of eight men and four women, had found Brand guilty'That is extremely important to our criminal justice system because honestly, most victims do not disclose immediately. The most common pattern is that victims come forward seven, ten, twenty, thirty years later.'That's also the same with child sexual abuse, same with rape and very similar with domestic abuse and coercive control.'Listen to the full episode by subscribing to The Crime Desk. Subscribers gain exclusive access to Trial Plus, On The Case, ad-free listening and much more.