Police have questioned a man in his 60s over allegations of human trafficking and facilitating rape in connection with the late former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed. According to The Guardian, this follows reports from 154 people alleging sexual abuse by Al Fayed, who died in 2023 at age 94.
Key Takeaways
Police have questioned a man in his 60s over allegations linked to the late former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed. This follows reports from 154 people alleging sexual abuse by Al Fayed, who died in 2023 at age 94.
- Man in his 60s interviewed under caution this month
- Three women also questioned on suspicion of aiding and abetting rape and human trafficking
- No arrests made; investigation ongoing with more suspects to be questioned
- Al Fayed allegedly targeted scores of women over four decades, youngest victim aged 13
- Harrods' compensation scheme for survivors criticized as 'neither fair nor just'
The suspect was interviewed under caution this month after three women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s were questioned between February 25 and March 5 on suspicion of aiding and abetting rape, sexual assault, assisting the commission of sexual offenses, and human trafficking for exploitation. The Metropolitan Police confirmed no arrests have been made, and the investigation remains ongoing.
The BBC reported that detectives have identified several more suspects who will be questioned in the coming months over allegations they may have facilitated or enabled abuse. Al Fayed allegedly targeted scores of women over four decades, with his youngest victim being 13 years old. The Met has examined over 50,000 pages of evidence and retrieved significant amounts of material from previous reports about Al Fayed stored in their archives.
The scope of the inquiry has been widened to cover alleged human trafficking, following requests from lawyers representing Al Fayed's victims. Campaign group Justice for Fayed and Harrods Survivors expressed hope for accountability for both the businesses and individuals who enabled or ignored the abuse. A meeting with the prime minister is expected in the next few weeks.
The Guardian reported that Harrods has been accused of being 'neither fair nor just' over its decision to close a compensation scheme for survivors of alleged sexual abuse by Mohamed Al Fayed. The scheme, set up in March last year, was designed to provide resolution without the need for a protracted legal process and to ensure all reasonable legal fees could be paid. Harrods stated that more than 220 people had engaged with the redress scheme, with compensation paid to over 70 survivors.
Kingsley Hayes, partner at KP Law, representing nearly 280 survivors, questioned why the scheme was being closed before Harrods completed an internal investigation. He called on Harrods to delay the closure of the redress scheme and commit to publishing the findings of its internal investigation. Harrods maintained that their commitment to redress does not end with the application deadline and that they stand by the progress made through this scheme.
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