UK police examine intercourse assault allegations following Russell Model stories By Reuters

By Michael Holden

LONDON (Reuters) -British police stated on Monday they’d launched an investigation into quite a few allegations of non-recent sexual offences following media stories that 4 ladies had accused actor and comic Russell Model of a string of sexual assaults.

Earlier this month, the Sunday Instances newspaper and Channel 4 TV’s documentary present “Dispatches” reported the ladies had accused Model, 48, of intercourse offences, together with a rape, between 2006 and 2013.

Model has rejected the “very severe felony allegations”, saying on his social media channels that he had by no means had non-consensual intercourse.

“Following an investigation by Channel 4’s Dispatches and The Sunday Instances, the Met has acquired quite a few allegations of sexual offences in London,” London’s Metropolitan Police stated in a press release.

“We’ve additionally acquired quite a few allegations of sexual offences dedicated elsewhere within the nation and can examine these.”

Police declined to provide particulars of the dates, the variety of incidents, or the main points of the offences below investigation.

Nonetheless final week, in wake of the stories, the police did say they’d acquired an allegation of a sexual assault reported to have taken place in Soho, central London, in 2003.

“We proceed to encourage anybody who believes they could have been a sufferer of a sexual offence, irrespective of how way back it was, to contact us,” stated Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, who’s main the investigation.

For the reason that allegations had been first printed and broadcast, British media have detailed different accounts by ladies alleging inappropriate behaviour by Model, the previous husband of U.S. singer Katy Perry and as soon as one of many nation’s most high-profile comedians and broadcasters.

It additionally led to his promoters saying the remaining dates of a stand-up tour he was on had been postponed, whereas YouTube stated final Tuesday it had blocked Model from creating wealth from his on-line channel.

Model accused “large tech”, the federal government and mainstream media of attempting to close down unbiased voices when he began his common broadcast on Monday on the web video web site Rumble, the place he has 1.6 million followers.

“I now, particularly, have a brand new expertise on the way in which that the media and the state can cooperate and corroborate each other’s narratives and tales,” he stated, though he made no direct reference to the assault allegations.

“I’m starting to sense that when you publicly query necessary tales which might be agenda-led like, for instance, the conflict in Ukraine or the response to the COVID pandemic then it seems there may be some important heft behind controlling these narrative areas.”

Canadian-based platform Rumble has rejected calls from British lawmakers, amongst others to cease Model, who has starred in quite a few movies corresponding to “Get Him to the Greek”, from creating wealth from the positioning.