Cops launch probe into 'sex crime accomplices of Mohamed Al Fayed'

Scotland Yard is investigating a number of people accused of enabling Mohamed Al Fayed’s decades of sexual abuse – as 90 new victims have come forward.

Detectives launched a criminal investigation yesterday after identifying more than five suspects who allegedly assisted the Harrods boss in carrying out ‘horrendous abuse’.

It follows an explosion of sex attack claims from a total of 111 victims, with the youngest said to be aged just 13.

By the time of his death last year police were already aware of allegations made by 21 women between 2005 and 2023, including four claims of rape, 16 sexual assaults and one related to trafficking.

Fayed was arrested in 2013 over a rape allegation, but the billionaire tycoon was not charged with any offence before his death in 2023 aged 94. 

Since the BBC broadcast an investigation into the Egyptian businessman’s behaviour in September, 150 people have come forward with information about alleged abuse, including 90 new victims – taking the total to 111 complainants, officers said.

Detectives are now investigating accusations of rape, sexual assault and trafficking spanning almost four decades, from 1977 to 2014.

An internal Met review is also being carried out into how the force handled claims about Fayed while he was alive, amid allegations of corruption and reports that officers were taking bribes to allow him to continue persecuting Harrods staff.

Scotland Yard is currently re-examining all previous investigations. In an indication of the staggering scale of the inquiry, officers have already looked at 50,000 pages of evidence.

The Yard approached the Crown Prosecution Service on five occasions between 2005 and 2023 about Fayed, but in each case no charges were brought despite mounting concerns about predatory behaviour.

Yesterday a Met spokesman said: ‘We know that contact with and support for some victims at the time could have been improved. 

'Only after completing this comprehensive review will we fully understand what could have been done differently.’

Following complaints from two women about the quality of investigations conducted in 2008, the Met has now voluntarily referred these cases to the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

Commander Stephen Clayman, head of Central Specialist Crime at the Met, said: ‘I recognise the bravery of every victim [and] survivor who has come forward to share their experiences, often after years of silence. 

'This investigation is about giving survivors a voice, despite the fact that Mohamed Al Fayed is no longer alive to face prosecution.

‘However, we are now pursuing any individuals suspected to have been complicit in his offending, and we are committed to seeking justice.

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‘We are aware that past events may have impacted the public’s trust and confidence in our approach, and we are determined to rebuild that trust by addressing these allegations with integrity and thoroughness.’

Mr Clayman said the investigation would look at what roles individuals ‘may have played in facilitating or enabling his offending, and what opportunities they had to protect victims from his horrendous abuse’. 

He appealed to Fayed’s victims: ‘I know you may have faced years of silence or disbelief, but you are not alone. We are here, ready to support you and ensure your voice is heard.’