Mohamed Al-Fayed: Police investigating 40 new rape and sexual assault allegations against ex-Harrods boss
The Metropolitan Police has launched an investigation in 40 new allegations of rape and sexual assault against the late former Harrods boss Mohamed Al-Fayed.
The new allegations which have been reported are alleged to have taken place between 1979 and 2013. The Met Police said that numerous people had contacted the force since the BBC first published allegations against Al-Fayed last month.
The BBC’s initial report alleged that 40 people had accused the late businessman, who died in August 2023, of sexual assault, with the new 40 allegations in addition to this. Before the BBC investigation, 21 allegations had been made against Al-Fayed by 21 separate woman who accused him of crimes between 2005 and 2023.
Met Commander Stephen Clayman said: “Since the broadcast of the documentary and our recent appeal, detectives have received numerous pieces of information, predominantly relating to the activities of Mohamed Al Fayed but some relating to the actions of others. This has led to us record 40 new allegations, relating to 40 victim-survivors and covering offences including sexual assault and rape across a time period between 1979 and 2013. These are in addition to allegations we were aware of prior to the broadcast.
“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.”