Britain's justice system looks harsh on ordinary sex-crime cases but strangely soft when the accused are powerful royal men, which is bad news for public trust in the law.

• Russell Brand faces a possible life sentence over an alleged sex act with another adult.
• Royal men accused of abusing children as young as eight, sometimes repeatedly, were protected instead of prosecuted.
• The gap raises the question of who shielded them and why.
• The case highlights that the legal system can punish lesser offenses harshly while letting far worse abuse slide for decades when the accused are well-connected.

Outlook: Pressure is likely to keep building for accountability and a fresh look at how these royal abuse allegations were handled.