The Metropolitan Police are investigating 40 new reported offences, including rape and sexual assault, alleged to have been committed by Mohamed Al Fayed and his associates between 1979 and 2013.
More alleged victims have contacted police since a BBC documentary examining the conduct of the former Harrods and Fulham FC owner was broadcast last month.
Before the recent media coverage, 21 allegations had already been made against the late Egyptian billionaire which resulted in crimes being recorded relating to 21 separate women between 2005 and 2023.
No prosecution was brought against Al Fayed before his death in August 2023, although there were a number of serious allegations made during his lifetime.
CPS Approached 5 Times
The Crown Prosecution Service was approached by Scotland Yard with files of evidence on five occasions between 2005 and 2023, the force said, but no further action was taken.The latest reports relate to offences alleged to have taken place between 1979 and 2013. Four were allegations of rape, 16 were of sexual assault and one related to trafficking, the Met said.
The force added that while it would not be possible to bring criminal proceedings against Al Fayed, who was 94 when he died in 2023, it would “continue to explore whether any other individuals could be pursued for any criminal offences.”
Met Commander Stephen Clayman said: “Since the broadcast of the documentary and our recent appeal, detectives have received numerous pieces of information, predominantly relating to the activities of Mohamed Al Fayed but some relating to the actions of others.
“This has led to us recording 40 new allegations, relating to 40 victim-survivors and covering offences including sexual assault and rape across a time period between 1979 and 2013. These are in addition to allegations we were aware of prior to the broadcast.
“I recognise the courage it will have taken for people to take that step to speak to us about their experiences and I want to reassure anyone who has yet to make contact that we have specially trained detectives who will listen to you and support you.”
He added that all reports will be formally logged and assessed to see if there are any allegations of criminality that can be pursued.
Civil Case Against Harrods
Clayman said that some alleged victims had gone directly to lawyers who are preparing to sue Harrods on behalf of former staff who say they were assaulted by Al Fayed.“While the majority of information we have received relates to Al Fayed’s ownership of Harrods, we are contacting representatives of other organisations linked to Al Fayed to ensure anyone affected is identified and has the opportunity to speak with us,” he added.
Lawyers acting for a group of women who claim they were assaulted by the late billionaire said last month that the allegations combine “some of the most horrific elements of the cases involving Jimmy Savile, Jeffrey Epstein, and Harvey Weinstein.”
Their civil case against Harrods is seeking damages on behalf of the alleged victims, claiming that the luxury department store not only failed to protect its employees over the course of many years, but “enabled” and covered up the alleged crimes of its former owner.
U.S. lawyer Gloria Allred, who is involved with the case and has previously represented victims of high profile abusers including Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein, told the conference that Harrods was a “toxic, unsafe, and abusive environment” under the ownership of Al Fayed, whose business interests were centred on London since the mid 1960s.
Allred said the various allegations against the late billionaire include serial rape, attempted rape, sexual battery, and sexual abuse of minors.
“They involved doctors administering invasive gynaecological exams as a condition of employment for some of the employees who were targeted by Mohammed Al Fayed for sexual abuse,” she told the press conference held to announce the legal action.
The lawyers said they would not be pursuing a class action and will instead focus on individual claims against Harrods on behalf of each of their clients.
Non-Disclosure Agreements
In July 2023, Harrods began settling claims out of court with women who came forward with allegations of sexual abuse at the hands of Al Fayed, with non-disclosure agreements forming part of the settlements.Lawyers representing the alleged victims said that the prior signing of such an agreement should not deter any former employees from contacting them.
In a statement released in response to allegations made in September’s BBC documentary, Harrods said: “We are utterly appalled by the allegations of abuse perpetrated by Mohamed Al Fayed.
“These were the actions of an individual who was intent on abusing his power wherever he operated and we condemn them in the strongest terms.
“We also acknowledge that during this time as a business we failed our employees who were his victims, and for this we sincerely apologise,“ the current owners said, adding that ”The Harrods of today” is a very different organisation.
