NEW YORK—Stressing that the memory seemed so fresh and vivid in their minds, the confused nation announced Monday that they could have sworn British entertainer Russell Brand was already a convicted sex offender. “Interesting...so Russell Brand definitely wasn’t already found guilty of sexual assault back in, like...2016, 2017?” said 39-year-old New York resident Scott Hasard, echoing the thoughts of 330 million Americans as he noted that when he saw allegations emerge about the actor, comedian, and podcast host, he had assumed it was simply repackaged content from nearly a decade ago. “You’re telling me there wasn’t a lengthy and well-publicized trial where Brand was acquitted, but then new allegations emerged? And, like, social media posts where the women got called liars? None of that happened? Huh. I even feel like I read a think-piece about how we could still appreciate Forgetting Sarah Marshall despite his crimes. It’s probably insane to even ask this, but didn’t he release a comeback special back in 2020 about how everyone tried to cancel him for the sexual assault stuff? Seriously? Not even that?” At press time, the baffled nation asked what had made Brand into such an unhinged and deeply frustrated person if all of this hadn’t kicked it off years ago.
  • velma@sh.itjust.works
    31·
    6 days ago

    Amazing news this morning and my heart goes out to Brand’s victims and how much courage they had to step forward. I think most people assume perpetrators are dealt with in higher numbers than in actuality:

    Most Survivors Never See Justice Through the System

    FBI crime data shows that law enforcement clears 26% of reported rape cases. In this data, “cleared” may mean someone was arrested or even that the suspect was deceased; it does not necessarily mean the perpetrator was charged, convicted, incarcerated, or otherwise held accountable.

    The clearance rate directs our attention to the 74% of survivors of rape whose cases remain unresolved every year. That’s at least 125,274 people who reached out for justice they may never receive.

    For many survivors, reporting sexual violence means entering a system where the outcome is uncertain. A report may be investigated, cleared, closed, declined, or moved forward—but only a fraction of reported cases lead to criminal charges.

    A 20-year review of sexual assault case outcomes found that just under 20% of reported rape and sexual assault cases are criminally charged.

    This number points to one reality: many survivors report sexual violence without seeing the person who harmed them formally charged with a crime.

    A 20-year review of reported rape and sexual assault cases found that 89% were “founded” by law enforcement, meaning police determined that the crime more than likely occurred.

    But only 8% of reported rape and sexual assault cases ended in conviction.

    In other words, police believed most reports, but very few cases led to the perpetrator’s conviction. Survivors can be believed and still not get the legal outcome they seek.

    Justice requires more than recognizing harm. It requires systems prepared to move cases forward and support survivors through what comes next.

  • mimic_kry@sh.itjust.works
    121·
    6 days ago

    Man this is good but like, is it really satire?

    Didn’t all that stuff actually happen? Kinda like Leto being a rapist? Like didn’t people come out and descriptively accuse Leto but somehow he just slides by like one of those curling…pucks? Discs? Not nearly as gracefully, but still.

    Did I imagine all that?!

  • jballs@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    3·
    5 days ago

    I swear to God I remember this guy being outted as a sex offender a while ago. Maybe it was just the lead up to this trial?

  • Janx@piefed.socialEnglish
    2·
    6 days ago

    I hear all these revelations about him, and I’m like “who the fuck is this guy?” I looked up his past work as producer, writer, and actor. Turns out the original Despicable Me may be the only thing I’ve ever seen that he’s been associated with (as a voice actor). Regardless, I hope his victims get justice…