The Met was criticised two years ago when it emerged 21 alleged victims came forward with complaints about Mohamed Al Fayed while he was still alive but no charges were brought
A serving Met Police detective and four ex-officers are being investigated over the handling of sex abuse allegations against Mohamed Al Fayed.
Hundreds of victims have come forward and reported claims of sexual assault, rape, sexual exploitation and human trafficking against the ex-Harrods and Fulham owner, who died in 2023 aged 94. It was only after a BBC broadcast in September 2024 that the Met revealed it had been approached by 21 women before the billionaire’s death.
The complaints of two of the women, whose allegations were reported back in 2008, were referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct in November 2024. Investigators twice sent files for a charging decision to the CPS, once in 2008 relating to three victims and again in 2015 linked to one other.
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The Egyptian businessman was never charged with any offences. Now, five people are being investigated for potential misconduct over the handling of those reports. The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards, which is under the IOPC’s control, confirmed an investigation into the Met officers was carried out in January 2025.
It said: “At this stage, five individuals – a serving Met officer and four former Met officers – have been advised that they are being investigated for potential misconduct.”
The IPOC confirmed the investigation was “continuing” while a Met Police spokesperson said in a statement: “We are assisting the IOPC as it carries out an independent investigation into our handling of reports of sexual offending by Mohammed Al-Fayed.
“As part of this, the IOPC is investigating complaints against five officers. One serving and four former officers are being investigated for potential misconduct. The serving of notices does not mean that misconduct proceedings will necessarily follow.
“Our investigation into individuals who may have facilitated or enabled offending by Mohamed Al Fayed remains active.”
Al Fayed was described as a “monster” during a bombshell press conference held by the legal team representing alleged victims back in 2024. Dozens of female former employees of the department store have come forward with allegations of assault and physical violence at properties in London and Paris.
In March this year, three women were quizzed by detectives over suspicions of enabling al Fayed’s abuse. They were questioned over allegations of human trafficking and facilitating rape after the he accused of targeting women and girls between 1977 and 2014. Officers interviewed three women, aged in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, between February 25 and March 5.
No arrests have been made and the investigation remains ongoing. So far 154 victims have come forward to police to report allegations of sexual assault, rape, sexual exploitation and human trafficking.
Former female Harrods staff have alleged that they were “required” to have invasive tests for sexually transmitted diseases by a doctor, who shared the results with Al Fayed. Harrods was accused of being plagued by a “toxic” culture under his 25-year rule, where young staff were procured for his sexual gratification.
Al Fayed is also accused of deploying Harrods staff, a former senior Met Police officer, lawyers and PR agents to threaten women, and of spying by using hidden cameras and bugs.
He has been compared with vile serial sex offenders Jimmy Savile and Jeffrey Epstein. Scores of women came forward after a 2024 BBC documentary on the late Harrods tycoon.
Barrister Dean Armstrong KC told a press conference at the time that the case “combines some of the most horrific elements of those involving Jimmy Savile, Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein”.
