Andy Burnham says he will look at rape trial handling after Russell Brand case
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he will look at changing rape trial handling after Russell Brand's conviction, amid debate over whether judges need new jury directions.
How it was covered
- Sky News carried 64% of the airtime and concentrated on the political response and calls for statutory jury directions.
- ITV concentrated on survivor impact, Brand sentencing and scepticism about reform.
- Channel 5, BBC News, BBC One, Channel 4 and GB News: not found in tracked broadcasts.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story. Facts only one channel reported are attributed to it.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he will look at changing how rape trials are handled so that women do not feel they are the ones on trial. He said: 'I think we need to constantly look at the way rape trials are conducted, to make sure that they do not leave the woman feeling like she is on trial.' The remarks followed criticism from Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley, who warned that some of what was heard in the Russell Brand case came very close to victim blaming.
ITV reported that Russell Brand was convicted of rape and sexual assault this week. It said he was due to be sentenced on Monday and was spending the weekend behind bars. The case has renewed questions about how survivors are treated in court.
Sky News political correspondent Amanda Akass said Burnham did not promise anything but signalled he was open to the arguments. According to Sky News, victims commissioner Claire Waxman had called for judges' directions to juries on rape myths to be put on a statutory footing, and Rowley agreed. Sky News reported that Burnham said he could not rule anything out.
ITV reported that a barrister familiar with such cases disagreed, saying there was no need for change because judges already give firm directions to juries about stereotypes and myths. ITV also reported that a survivor, Zoe, said the system had traumatised her further and that her case took four years to reach court.
Sky News reported that more than 15,000 rape cases were waiting to come to court. It said only 2.8% of rape offences recorded by police led to a successful prosecution, and that an estimated one in six rapes were reported to police at all. Sky News also reported that Burnham had cancelled Keir Starmer's plans to restrict jury trials to speed up the backlog.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Reported by all 2 channels | ||
| Andy Burnham said he would examine Mark Rowley's comments closely and was prepared to make changes. | ||
| Only on one channel | ||
| A barrister said no change was needed because judges already give firm directions to juries about stereotypes, myths and evidence. | Not reported by Sky News | |
| A survivor named Zoe said the court process traumatised her further, made her feel as if she was guilty of accusing him, and took four years for her case to reach court. | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Claire Waxman and Mark Rowley called for jury directions on rape myths to be placed on a statutory legal footing. | Not reported by ITV | |
| Only 2.8 per cent of rape offences reported to and recorded by police resulted in a successful prosecution. | Not reported by ITV | |
| Russell Brand had been convicted that week of rape and sexual assault and was awaiting sentencing on Monday. | Not reported by Sky News | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Sky News led with the political response and the mechanics of rape trial reform. It quoted Andy Burnham at length and used political correspondent Amanda Akass to trace the argument back to victims commissioner Claire Waxman and a call for statutory jury directions. It also added wider criminal justice statistics and the row over jury trial limits.
- “I think we need to constantly look at the way rape trials are conducted to make sure they do not leave the Woman feeling like she is on trial in court”
- “I will look closely at what Mark Rowley is saying always prepared to make changes”
- “only 2.8 percent of rape offenses even reported Recorded by the police end up leading to a successful prosecution”
ITV1 focused on the human impact of trials and gave space to scepticism about reform. It led with the Prime Minister's hint at changes, then used survivor Zoe's account and a barrister's argument that judges already give firm directions to juries. It also confirmed Brand's conviction and his expected sentencing on Monday.
- “Here the Prime Minister has hinted that he may propose changes to the way rape trials are conducted, to ensure victims never feel like they're the ones on trial.”
- “I felt like not only was I traumatised by what had happened to me, that the system essentially traumatised me even further.”
- “There is no need for any change, because our judges at the moment give very firm directions to juries about stereotypes”
Who was on air
People and organisations each channel put on air while covering this story. Channels' own presenters and reporters are not listed. Names as transcribed, and the list can miss people.
- 15:09 GMT
Andy Burnham, Prime Minister
Sky News Today · Sat 7 Nov
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.