The singer Rihanna was last night accused of "sanctioning" domestic violence after she conceded she still feels "protective" towards an ex-boyfriend who was charged with assaulting her three years ago.

In an interview to be broadcast in the US tonight, Rihanna insisted the rapper Chris Brown "made a mistake" and "needed help" when, according to police reports, he punched her in the face, smashed her head against a car window and bit her following an argument on the eve of the Grammys