Russell Brand suspected to have attacked at least 10 other women

Met police chief says ‘many more’ victims could come forward, as actor and comedian awaits sentencing

Police are bracing themselves for more victims of Russell Brand to come forward, with at least 10 more women suspected of having been attacked by the disgraced star.

Brand, 51, will be sentenced on Monday to what is expected to be a lengthy jail sentence for rape and sexual assaults after he abused his fame to become a “predator” targeting women, and got away with it for years.

The fallout from Brand’s case saw the government pledge to examine calls to crack down on “rape myths” in trials.

The Guardian also understands that next week the Metropolitan police team that built the case against Brand will start sifting through reports and intelligence about other potential victims.

The Met commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, said there could be “many more” victims, but declined to say how many, with some intelligence about further victims being third-hand and some further suspected victims reluctant to face the criminal justice system.

Sources say it is feared the number of further victims is at least in “double digits”, with 10 currently seen as a minimum.

The Met police said on Thursday that Brand was under investigation for two further rape allegations. Detectives have sent files to specialist rape prosecutors and are in discussions with them over the material.

Rowley said: “We’ve got two other victims who’ve come forward who want to tell their story, and so two rape cases we’re investigating. I wouldn’t be surprised if many, many more come forward, and we’re open to that.”

Rowley declined on LBC Radio to confirm the new allegations would reach “double figures”, and said: “I’m not going to guess on this, but we’ve seen in the past with high-profile individuals who are brought to justice that it does often bring out a flood of other cases. Let’s see where this one goes.”

Brand’s trial, which spanned claims of attacks from 1999 to 2009, saw women asked by the defence barrister why they had not screamed during attacks.

Since the end of the trial there has been a debate about rape myths. A No 10 source said the prime minister, Andy Burnham, believed calls from the victims’ commissioner, Claire Waxman, for a legal duty that would require judges to issue directions to juries on rape myths and misconceptions, should be examined.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “Rape myths have absolutely no place in our courts and victims should never feel as though they are the ones on trial.

“Judges are already able to give directions to counter rape myths … we will also carefully consider the victims’ commissioner’s proposals as we continue to strengthen protections for victims.”

Siobhan Blake, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) lead for rape and serious sexual offences, said: “The focus must be the actions of the perpetrator and not the behaviour of the victim.