London’s Metropolitan Police (Met or Scotland Yard) are investigating at least five people who may have helped to the Egyptian tycoon Mohamed Al Fayed to sexually abuse dozens of women, some minors, between 1977 and 2014reported in a statement.
The Met indicated in its note that Number of new complaints against deceased businessman rises to 90after the BBC released the documentary in September Al Fayed: predator at Harrodsin which a group of affected people revealed their first experience.
In this program it was explained that Al Fayed had a system by which employees were selected and gynecological requests were made to them and how, in his office, at his home or supposedly during his business trips, he harassed and sexually assaultedincluding rape.
Agents will attempt to establish what role various associates of Al Fayed, died in 2023 at age 94in “assisting and facilitating” crimes, according to the statement. These were committed when he was the owner of the London luxury department store Harrodsfrom 1985 to 2010, but also the Fulham football club and the Ritz hotel in Paris.
Police said in the statement that they were also re-examining old allegations. which did not result in an indictmentshe therefore referred herself to an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). The British prosecution admitted to having ruled out this possibility on at least two occasions.In 2008 and 2013formalizes the accusations against the suspect, believing that there was no solid evidence.
They admit that previous investigations were insufficient
Currently, a group of lawyers representing the victims are preparing a civil action against Harrods, which they accuse of sponsoring. a system of collaboration and concealment for Al Fayedwhich involved doctors and human resources and security personnel. The new owner of the department stores – the State of Qatar – condemned the events and opened a fund to compensate those affected.
Commander Stephen Clayman of the Met highlighted in the statement “the courage of each surviving victim who came to share their experiences, often after years of silence. “This investigation aims to give a voice to survivors, even if Mohamed Al Fayed is no longer alive to be judged,” he said.
As such, “any person suspected of having been complicit in his crime” is also prosecuted, he added. Clayman also promised to try to regain the trust of those involved after admit that previous research was insufficient.
