11 October 2024 , 18:28
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Forty people come forward to report alleged offences, including rape and sexual assault, covering 34-year period
The Metropolitan police have said they are investigating 40 new allegations, including of rape and sexual assault, relating to Mohamed Al Fayed and others, after the broadcast of a BBC documentary about his behaviour.
Scotland Yard said 40 people had come forward to make allegations since the airing of the BBC programme, in which five women said they were assaulted by the late billionaire. Their lawyers have claimed he was enabled by people who worked for him.
Commander Stephen Clayman, of the Met, 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 us to record 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.”
They are in addition to allegations relating to 21 women reported to the force between 2005 and 2023. Four of them were allegations of rape, 16 were allegations of sexual assault and one related to alleged trafficking, detectives said.
Separate to the police operation, barristers who have said they plan to file a claim against Harrods over the allegations against its former owner said they now represented 116 clients – an increase of 79 since they announced their intention.
Dean Armstrong KC, Bruce Drummond, Maria Mulla, Gloria Allred and the investigative journalist Keaton Stone said the women were “survivors from around the world who have reached out to our team in order to receive support. We have fielded more than 200 further inquiries, with more arriving every day.”
They added: “The majority of these claims relate to Harrods, with others relating to other corners of the Al Fayed empire.”
Scotland Yard said it approached the Crown Prosecution Service on five occasions between 2005 and 2023 but no further action was taken.
Fayed died last year aged 94. The Met said it would “continue to explore whether any other individuals could be pursued for any criminal offences”.
Clayman said: “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.
“All these reports will need to be formally logged and assessed to see if there are any allegations of criminality that can be pursued. This will take time, but we will ensure those who contact us are kept updated with progress.
“We also continue work to make contact with lawyers representing individuals who have come directly to them, to ensure they are aware of our request to speak to police so any crimes can be recorded and the relevant support provided.
“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.”