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The Metropolitan Police has issued an apology after accidentally revealing the email addresses of approximately 140 individuals who claim to have been sexually abused by the late Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed. Scotland Yard confirmed to the BBC that instead of using blind carbon copy (BCC), they mistakenly copied all recipients openly in an email update intended for victims. This update, relating to the ongoing Operation Cornpoppy investigation, disclosed that three additional suspects in their 70s and 80s had been interviewed under caution, raising the total to seven.
The force acknowledged the error and stated that it had referred itself to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). They are also exploring ways to enhance victim support and implement stronger safeguards going forward. According to a Met Police spokesperson, the monthly update sent on 11 August included details about progress in Operation Cornpoppy, which investigates individuals who might have facilitated sexual abuse by Al Fayed. The spokesperson explained, “Due to human error, recipients’ email addresses were visible to others on the distribution list. The issue was identified quickly and immediate action was taken.” They apologized for the impact on victims and stressed that all affected were contacted on the same day. The force is treating the situation with urgency and reassessing processes to prevent a recurrence.
The breach affected those who had opted in for updates, but recipients were divided into smaller groups, limiting exposure of email addresses to within those groups rather than the entire list. Around 140 people have subscribed to receive these updates, while a total of 154 victims have reported abuse linked to Al Fayed. The Metropolitan Police emphasized that supporting survivors remains central to their work. They have formally recorded this breach in the investigation files and are continuing to assess its impact. Alternative communication methods are also under consideration to decrease the likelihood of human error.
The incident has intensified concerns about the Metropolitan Police’s handling of sensitive information related to survivors. Advocates have highlighted the critical need to protect the identities of those involved in sexual abuse cases, citing privacy and emotional wellbeing. Joanna Brittan, a survivor from Devon who waived her automatic lifelong anonymity, was one of those whose email address was exposed to dozens of other survivors. She described the exposure as a serious breach since it identified recipients as linked to a highly sensitive criminal investigation. Writing to senior officers, Brittan stated, “I consider this to be a further personal data breach by the Metropolitan Police Service.” She also recalled a previous incident where the Met disclosed private information about her first police interview to two individuals in Australia, for which she had been offered compensation.
Speaking about the latest breach, Brittan expressed her shock, given assurances that lessons had been learned after the earlier mistake. “It’s very shocking because they were meant to have learned all lessons and it would never happen again,” she said. “Although the first one was far more egregious because it was very sensitive data that was sent to Australia, I was promised that they had learned and the same thing couldn’t happen again.” She added that many alleged victims of Al Fayed would be deeply distressed by the latest disclosure, calling it “more of the same” and “deeply re abusive.” Advocate Dame Jasvinder Sanghera echoed this sentiment, noting she had received numerous messages from survivors feeling violated by the police. Sanghera criticized the police apology as insufficient, saying survivors received “an insipid apology five hours later” which “is just not good enough.”
Brittan first reported her allegations to police in 2017, claiming she was sexually abused by Ahmed Obaidly, a former UAE diplomat and associate of Al Fayed. The allegations relate to her work for a company connected to the UAE royal family in the early 1990s. The Metropolitan Police clarified that the original report, made to Devon and Cornwall Police, was transferred to London as the alleged offenses occurred within its jurisdiction. Her case was initially investigated as a rape allegation against Obaidly, who died in 2015. The Met confirmed that criminal allegations regarding Mohamed Al Fayed, received in 2024, remain under active investigation as part of Operation Cornpoppy. They reaffirmed their commitment to prioritizing victims and keeping them updated as the inquiry progresses.
This latest disclosure follows recent enforcement action taken by the ICO against the Metropolitan Police for two separate data breaches unrelated to Al Fayed’s investigation. In early August, the watchdog issued a reprimand and an enforcement notice after finding that the police had failed to implement adequate technical and organizational measures to protect personal data. The ICO’s investigation uncovered “serious and ongoing shortcomings” in data protection training and noted broader weaknesses in policies and procedures concerning sensitive information. One breach involved an officer revealing a stalking victim’s new address and phone number to her alleged stalker. The enforcement notice requires the police to improve training compliance, monitoring, and governance around data protection
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