An investigation has been launched into whether there were “any missed opportunities or failures” in the Metropolitan Police’s handling of some allegations against Mohammed Al Fayed.
The Met is currently reviewing a total of 21 allegations made before the former Harrods boss died in 2023 and referred two of those to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) in November.
The IOPC said the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards will continue to investigate the complaints, but under the direction of the watchdog.
IOPC director of operations Steve Noonan said: “There is widespread public concern around this case, with a significant number of allegations reported over many years while Mr al Fayed was still alive.
“It’s important that an investigation is carried out into these complaints to identify if there were any missed opportunities or failures by officers to properly investigate these reports made back in 2008.”
Al Fayed has been accused of widespread abuse of female staff while he owned the department store.
More than 100 alleged victims have contacted police to say the tycoon sexually abused them, with the youngest thought to have been 13 at the time.
In November a lawyer told Sky News 290 women have applied to the Harrods compensation scheme over claims they were sexually abused by Al Fayed.
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“There are 290 women currently in the Harrods process, but in my experience, there will be a lot of women out there who are yet to report,” Dame Jasvinder Sanghera told the UK Tonight with Sarah-Jane Mee.
“There’ll be many women sitting on their reporting for a number of reasons. It takes a lot of courage. I’m sure there’s more out there.”
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Investigators twice sent files for a charging decision to the Crown Prosecution Service, once in 2008 relating to three victims and again in 2015 linked to one other.
On another three occasions in 2018, 2021 and 2023, the CPS was asked for what is called early investigative advice, but the matters were not pursued further by police.
In November the Met confirmed detectives were investigating more than five people who may have facilitated Al Fayed in his alleged sexual abuse of dozens of women and girls.
They are looking at individuals surrounding the businessmen who could have enabled him to commit crimes, which are claimed to have taken place between 1977 and 2014.
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