George Madgwick, the leader of Reform UK in Hampshire, has been charged with 35 offences against four female victims between 2008 and 2021, including 12 counts of rape. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced the charges on Tuesday, following an investigation initiated by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary on July 24, 2025. Madgwick, 37, of Portsmouth, faces charges encompassing rape, sexual assault, controlling or coercive behaviour, making indecent images of a child, and additional offences such as stalking, making threats to kill, false imprisonment, theft, and criminal damage.
The charges stem from alleged incidents in Portsmouth and Wales, with the victims aged 16 and 17 at the time of the offences. Specifically, Madgwick is charged with 12 counts of rape, two counts of assault by penetration, two of sexual assault, two counts of making indecent images of children, two of controlling or coercive behaviour, eight of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, one count of inciting sexual exploitation of a child, one of distributing an indecent image of a child, one of stalking, one of making threats to kill, one of false imprisonment, one of theft, and one of criminal damage. He was initially arrested on January 6, 2026.
The CPS stated it determined there was sufficient evidence and public interest to pursue the case. A CPS spokesperson emphasized the defendant’s right to a fair trial and cautioned against any reporting that could prejudice the proceedings. Madgwick is scheduled to appear at Portsmouth Magistrates' Court on November 25, 2026. The investigation involved allegations relating to four complainants.
Our reading is that these charges represent a serious legal challenge for a leader within the Reform party, given the severity and number of alleged offences. The CPS’s decision to pursue the case, despite the lengthy timeframe of the alleged incidents, suggests they believe sufficient evidence exists and that prosecution is in the public interest. The emphasis on a fair trial and avoiding prejudicial reporting indicates the sensitivity of the case and the potential for significant public attention.
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