Rihanna demands justice for woman jailed after shooting man who sexually abused her when she was 16

Several famous women are calling for Cyntoia Brown to be released

Cyntoia Brown during her trial in 2004 (Fox 17/Screengab)

Rihanna is among several high profile women demanding justice for a woman who has spent the last 13 years in jail for killing the man who held her captive as a sex slave when she was 16-years-old.

Cyntoia Brown was sex-trafficked by a pimp who physically, sexually and mentally abused her before selling her to 43-year-old Nashville realtor Johnny Allen, a court heard during her trial in 2004.

According to Fox 17, Brown, fearing that the former Army sharp shooter would eventually kill her, took one of his guns and shot him. When the case came to court she was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of first degree murder and prostitution.

Brown's plight has recently come to new attention after filmmaker Dan Birman shared video from his seven years spent documenting her case, which was featured in the Fox 17 report.

In the film, Brown explains the abuse and how it made her paranoid. She said she, her mother and grandmother were all rape victims.

Birman's documentary helped to change Tennessee law in 2011 to prevent anyone under the age of 19 from being charged with prostitution. If Brown's case was heard today, Birman explained, she would be treated as a child human trafficking victim.

Writing on her Instagram account, Rihanna said something was "horribly wrong when the system enables these rapists and the victim is thrown away for life".

Cara Delevingne, Kim Kardashian, and singer Lauren Jauregui also commented on the case. Delevingne wrote: "The justice system is so backwards! This is completely insane #freecntoiabrown."

Kardashian, who also said she was trying to get her own legal team on the case, tweeted: "The system has failed. It's heart breaking to see a young girl sex trafficked then when she has the courage to fight back is jailed for life!

"We have to do better & what's right. I've called my attorneys yesterday to see what can be done to fix this."

Jauregui posted on Twitter: "What the actual f**k kind of justice is this? I wonder if that 43 year old would've been caught if he'd face his life in prison. But alas, he would not.

"We need to stop punishing and shaming victims, telling them it is their fault is untrue."