Opening statements have begun in Russell Brand’s London rape trial, with prosecutors accusing the British comedian of treating sexual encounters with women as a game. Brand is facing seven charges involving six women between 1999 and 2009: one count of indecent assault, three counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. In her opening statement, lead prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones described Brand as “a flirt with a huge sexual appetite — childlike in his expectation that his every desire should be met.” Karmy-Jones told the court that the "ruthless and calculated” Brand saw women as “simply a means to an end,” alleging that he groped, indecently assaulted, or raped them. “The circumstances of the offending were as wide and as varied as the defendant’s career,” Karmy-Jones said, describing his desire for sexual contact as “indiscriminate and voracious.” The prosecutor also alleged that Brand would act as though nothing had happened after assaults, sometimes leaving abruptly or refusing to discuss the incidents again. The six women say they came forward independently and did not know one another. Prosecutors argue their accounts describe similar patterns of behavior. According to the allegations, Brand showed interest, initiated unwanted sexual contact, and used comedy to deflect attention from his actions. “Six women, separate women, different allegations,” Karmy-Jones said. “When you hear them I have no doubt that you will find their evidence compelling.”
