Russell Brand has been baptised, but the allegations of abuse towards women still need to be taken seriously

Sally Hope wonders if it is too soon to be parading Brand as an example of God’s redeeming power. How do we ensure our churches and our faith are not being used by a master manipulator to ingratiate himself with the public and to avoid justice?

I don’t know if Russell Brand’s apparent conversion to Christianity followed by his baptism is genuine; none of us do, but I do believe that when men accused of any form of violence against women claim to have “found God” we need to exercise a lot of caution. 

The allegations against Russell Brand are serious. Four women have alleged he has raped, sexually assaulted, and emotionally abused them. One of these women was 16 at the time. The police are still investigating these accusations and since then more women have come forward with similar, credible accusations. Whilst it is not for us to speculate or investigate, we do have a responsibility to protect vulnerable people in our churches from potential sexual predators.