Andy Burnham says help for reporting sexual violence "isn’t there in the way that it should be"

Andy Burnham said the willingness of women to report Russell Brand will produce wider changes, speaking at a Hertfordshire hospital while Brand’s sentencing hearing was under way. Brand had been convicted of one rape and three sexual assaults and was awaiting sentence. Burnham acknowledged that help for people reporting sexual violence is still not sufficient and pledged further improvements. He said rape and serious sexual offence teams would be set up in every police force by the end of next year, sooner than a previous 2029 target. He also said he would review how rape trials are conducted after Metropolitan Police chief Sir Mark Rowley said some reporting from Brand’s trial came close to blaming victims. Police said more allegations against Brand were being investigated.