111 women accuse Mohamed Al Fayed of abuse as Met launches investigation into his ‘enablers’

Police are investigating at least five people who may have assisted the late Harrods boss, who is accused of preying on scores of women

A total of 111 women have accused Mohamed Al Fayed of abuse, with the youngest victim just 13, and police are investigating more than five people for allegedly enabling the late Harrods boss’s offending.

Police have revealed a further 90 alleged victims have come forward with allegations against the billionaire, who died last year aged 94, bringing the total number of complainant to 111.

The allegations range from sexual assault to rape and span a 37-year period, from 1977 to 2014.

A victims’ advocate appointed by Harrods said the scale of the abuse may turn out to be on a similar scale to Jimmy Savile’s.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed more than 150 people contacted them after they launched a renewed appeal for information following a BBC expose about the businessman, whose son Dodi died in a car crash with Princess Diana.

The Complex Investigation Team (CIT), a dedicated unit within the Met, has also launched an investigation into a number of individuals associated with Fayed. Detectives are working to establish what roles those individuals may have played in assisting and facilitating Fayed’s offending.

offending.

The force is also reviewing all its previous investigations to identify any missed opportunities to stop the late businessman. The results of the internal review are due to be published next month.

At least 21 women contacted the Met with separate allegations of abuse before his death, yet he was never charged or put on trial after the Crown Prosecution Service twice refused to press charges.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct is assessing complaints from two women over the Met’s handling of investigations into their 2008 complaints against the Egyptian tycoon.

Although he never faced criminal charges, scores of women have launched legal claims against Harrods alleging abuse. The Knightsbridge retailer launched an internal review last year to see whether anyone involved in any allegations is still working there, but it is not known when this will be completed.

The Met insists its past investigations into the businessman “were extensive and conducted by specialist teams who sought charging decisions from the CPS on two occasions”.

However, the force has acknowledged that “contact with and support for some victims at the time could have been improved”.

“While these cases date back over a decade and we cannot change what happened in the past, we are committed to understanding, being open about any shortcomings and improving our response to survivors moving forward,” the force said in a statement on Wednesday.

Commander Stephen Clayman, of the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, added: “I recognise the bravery of every victim-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.

“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.”

In a statement to broadcast journalists, Mr Clayman said the investigation would look at what role individuals “may have played in facilitating or enabling his offending, and what opportunities they had to protect victims from his horrendous abuse.”

Dame Jasvinder Sanghera was appointed by Harrods as an independent advocate to address the needs of the late billionaire’s victims.

Speaking to the BBC, Dame Jasvinder said she has seen evidence Fayed’s “tentacles went far and wide” as she discussed the scale of the abuse.

“We could be talking about something on the scale of Jimmy Savile,” she said.

After Saville’s death in 2011, hundreds of survivors came forward with stories of abuse by the DJ and TV presenter, who used his work at the BBC and at hospitals, prisons and charities to conceal his wrongdoings.

And Dame Jasvinder believes Fayed’s abuse went further than the department store.

She said: “If you look at the breadth of the abuse, this didn’t just happen in Harrods. I’m already hearing from survivors who are saying this happened in other areas.”

She said she had been told by a former pupil from a school for deaf children that Fayed “had access to vulnerable young women from that school”.

She said: “What we do know is that there are many people – and survivors have said this to me already – that were complicit [in Fayed’s abuse].

“They looked the other way. This could not have happened without people knowing about it, and he used his position of power and influence.”

The school told the BBC that as far as it was aware Fayed did not have access to the institution, and that it takes safeguarding very seriously.

Source : The Independent