Police investigate more people over Al Fayed abuse

The Metropolitan Police has said it is investigating much than 5 radical it believes whitethorn person assisted oregon enabled Mohamed Al Fayed’s intersexual offences.

The unit launched a caller probe aft 90 caller victims came guardant pursuing a BBC documentary which revealed the grade of the billionaire's predatory behaviour.

It was antecedently revealed the unit had been contacted by 21 alleged victims earlier the documentary was released.

Despite that, Al Fayed died past twelvemonth having faced nary transgression charges.

It is thought the timescale for the caller allegations is betwixt 1977 and 2014 with the youngest unfortunate aged 13 years old.

Cdr Steve Clayman from the Metropolitan Police said the probe - called cognition Cornpoppy - would look astatine what relation individuals "may person played successful facilitating oregon enabling his offending, and what opportunities they had to support victims from his horrendous abuse."

"I recognise the bravery of each victim-survivor who has travel guardant to stock their experiences, often aft years of silence," helium said.

"This probe is astir giving survivors a voice, contempt the information that Mohamed Al Fayed is nary longer live to look prosecution.

"However, we are present pursuing immoderate individuals suspected to person been complicit successful his offending and we are committed to seeking justice.

"We are alert that past events whitethorn person impacted the public's spot and assurance successful our approach, and we are determined to rebuild that spot by addressing these allegations with integrity and thoroughness.”

• Al Fayed maltreatment ‘could beryllium connected standard of Savile’, says survivors’ advocate
• Watchdog to reappraisal constabulary handling of Al Fayed maltreatment claims
• Harrods brag tells BBC helium is 'dreadfully sorry' for Al Fayed abuse

The Metropolitan Police person besides launched an interior reappraisal which volition look astatine each erstwhile investigations to place immoderate missed opportunities. The unit has already looked astatine much than 50,000 pages of evidence, including unfortunate and interaction statements.

Earlier this month, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) confirmed it was reviewing 2 cases the Metropolitan Police investigated successful 2008 and 2013 aft it referred itself.

The unit said it had received complaints from 2 women regarding erstwhile constabulary investigations. The complaints "address concerns astir the prime of constabulary effect and however details came to beryllium disclosed publicly", a connection from the Metropolitan Police said.

Al Fayed, who died aged 94, owned Harrods betwixt 1985 and 2010.

In effect to this latest investigation, a spokesperson for the section store said they "wholeheartedly" enactment it.

They said: "We person an open, nonstop and ongoing enactment of connection with the Met Police for the payment of the survivors.

"We proceed to promote each survivors to prosecute with the Met Police and we invited the probe successful supporting survivors successful their wider pursuit of justice."

The store's caller owners person antecedently said they are "appalled" by the allegations of intersexual maltreatment and person been investigating since 2023 whether immoderate existent members of unit were involved.

The retailer has declined to springiness immoderate details of whether immoderate enactment has been taken against immoderate idiosyncratic oregon erstwhile the reappraisal mightiness beryllium completed.

As good arsenic targeting Harrods' employees, Al Fayed is alleged to person besides abused women astatine different businesses helium owned, including the Ritz Paris edifice and Fulham FC.

Earlier this month, BBC News revealed that the Met Police was told of allegations of intersexual battle by Mohamed Al Fayed a decennary earlier than it had antecedently acknowledged.