Police investigate 40 new sex attack allegations against Mohamed Al Fayed and others
More women have come forward to report ordeals at the hands of the tycoon
Police are investigating 40 new sex attack allegations, including rape, against Mohamed Al Fayed “and others” between 1979 and 2013.
The Met said it had been contacted by numerous people since a TV expose into the former Harrods and Fulham FC owner was broadcast last month.
The 40 new allegations relate to 40 separate victims and are in addition to the 21 allegations previously made against the late billionaire which resulted in crimes being recorded relating to 21 separate women between 2005 and 2023.
The new offences are alleged to have taken place between 1979 and 2013 and include four rapes, 16 sexual assaults and one complaint of trafficking.
The Crown Prosecution Service was approached by Scotland Yard on five occasions between 2005 and 2023, the force said, but no further action was taken against Al Fayed before his death last year at the age of 94.
The force said that while it would not be possible to bring criminal proceedings it would “continue to explore whether any other individuals could be pursued for any criminal offences”.
The Met revelation follows claims on Thursday that Al Fayed began abusing his victims as early as 1977 as he was in the midst of building his business empire.
The raft of new claims came with 65 more women providing testimonies of their horror ordeal at the hands of the Egyptian-born tycoon.
That figures adds to the near 300 women who had previously come forward to accuse Al Fayed of committing decades of sexual abuse.
Met Commander Stephen Clayman said: “I recognise the courage it will have taken for people to take that step to speak to us about their experiences and I want to reassure anyone who has yet to make contact that we have specially trained detectives who will listen to you and support you.
“All these reports will need to be formally logged and assessed to see if there are any allegations of criminality that can be pursued. This will take time, but we will ensure those who contact us are kept updated with progress.
“We also continue work to make contact with lawyers representing individuals who have come directly to them, to ensure they are aware of our request to speak to police so any crimes can be recorded and the relevant support provided.
“While the majority of information we have received relates to Al Fayed’s ownership of Harrods, we are contacting representatives of other organisations linked to Al Fayed to ensure anyone affected is identified and has the opportunity to speak with us.”
