It’s 11 years since Russell Brand silenced a woman who was ‘harassing’ him. Isn’t it time we heard from her again? | Zoe Williams

The comedian has just been sentenced to more than 10 years in jail. But a massage therapist who accused him of assaulting her is still banned from repeating her claimsEvery woman who made formal rape or sexual assault allegations against Russell Brand had a part in his conviction, whether or not her charges were upheld; and every woman who claims to have been raped or assaulted by him, but never pressed charges, will have her reasons. Anyone familiar with the data on rape convictions, or the sheer number of investigations that are closed because the victim loses faith in the process, will know immediately what those reasons are.But the legal realities of sexual violence, and sexual violence by a celebrity in particular, have never been better illustrated than by two women: the massage therapist against whom Brand successfully sought an anti-harassment injunction; and the woman known only as “complainant six”. Continue reading...