Police record 40 new allegations against Mohamed Al Fayed

Since the documentary was first broadcast, a further 65 women have contacted the BBC to say they had been abused by Mohamed Al Fayed. with allegations extending beyond Harrods and dating back to 1977.

Al Fayed, who died in 2023 at the age of 94, took over the luxury department store in 1985 and sold it in 2010.

The Metropolitan Police said the 40 new allegations were in addition to the 21 Allegations that they were aware of before the BBC documentary was broadcast.

Although there is no prospect of Al Fayed being convicted, the Metropolitan Police said it was continuing to assess whether other people could be prosecuted for offences.

Cdr Stephen Clayman said: “Since the broadcast of the documentary and our recent appeal, investigators have received a wealth of information, predominantly relating to the activities of Mohamed Al Fayed, but some also relating to the actions of others.”

Police continue to appeal to anyone who has been a victim of Al Fayed or who has information about those who facilitated his crime.

It added a full review of previous allegations and identified 21 individual allegations that were reported to police about Al Fayed before the BBC broadcast.

The review will ensure that no new lines of investigation arise based on the information that has emerged and, if necessary, contact the Directorate of Professional Standards.

Many people will be astonished that one man out of 21 women can be accused of sexual offenses and not be prosecuted.

And with 40 more women having contacted the Met since the BBC film, questions are now mounting about the quality of the Met’s previous inquiries.

Police are conducting an internal review and the Police Inspectorate has asked whether anything needs to be referred to them for investigation.

Last month the BBC heard testimony from more than 20 former Harrods employees accusing the billionaire of sexual assault and rape.

The documentary and podcast Al-Fayed: Predator at Harrods gathered evidence that Harrods not only failed to intervene during the time Al Fayed was in possession, but also helped cover up allegations of abuse.

The current owners of Harrods said they were “deeply appalled” by the allegations and that its victims had been let down – for which the store sincerely apologized.

The department store is also conducting an independent review that began in 2023.

Since it was broadcast, dozens of women have contacted the BBC to say they were abused by Al Fayed.

On Thursday, the BBC reported that 65 women had contacted the broadcaster to say they had been abused by Al Fayed. The allegations extended beyond Harrods and dated back to 1977.

It suggests he used a wider range of abusive tactics and also targeted women employed outside his companies.

Several of the new 65 women interviewed say they were recruited by Al Fayed under false pretenses to positions on the billionaire’s domestic staff and then sexually exploited by him – including at his Oxted villa.

The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), has told the BBC that it has asked the Metropolitan Police whether anything needs to be referred to them for investigation, and the police’s internal review is still ongoing.

An IOPC spokesman said: “Following the television documentary about Mohamed Al-Fayed, we contacted the Metropolitan Police Service to see if they had received any relevant complaints or identified any behavioral issues that would require a referral to the IOPC.”

The Met Police is conducting a review, the spokesman added, and the watchdog has not yet received any information about the police’s handling of the allegations.