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The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is set to review the way the Metropolitan Police handled allegations of sexual misconduct made against former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed. The force referred the case and the IOPC will now analyze two cases which the Met Police investigated in 2008 and 2013. Following the documentary “Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods,” broadcasted by the BBC, hundreds of people have reached out to the channel, sharing stories of abuse by the billionaire and what they had to endure while working at Harrods. Over 70 women reportedly contacted the BBC, sharing accounts of Al Fayed sexually harassing, assaulting, and raping them.
Claims regarding abuse taking place at the Ritz Hotel Paris and Fulham FC have also come to light, adding to the tension. Since the program was aired, the Met claimed to have discovered reports from 21 women who accused Al Fayed of such crimes from 2005 until his death in 2023. However, he was never charged. In September, the BBC revealed that the Met presented the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) with evidence files related to just two of the 21 women during Al Fayed’s lifetime.
Last month, after the revelation that the Met Police had been told in 1995 of a sexual assault allegation leveled against Al Fayed by a teenage girl, 10 years earlier than they had initially acknowledged. The IOPC contacted the Met in September to check if the force had “identified any conduct issues that would require a referral.” In a statement released last Friday, the IOPC confirmed that they have received two complaint referrals from the Met and will “assess the information provided before deciding what further action may be required.”
Harrods is also settling some of the claims. The store’s new owners have also been investigating since 2023 to see if any current employees were involved in any of the allegations of sexual abuse. Meanwhile, Harrods told the BBC that they were in the process of settling more than 250 compensation claims brought by Al Fayed’s victims, a figure that has now risen to over 290. The boss of Harrods has even gone so far as to apologize after the BBC approached him about the allegations
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