Police say there are investigating 40 new allegations, including rape and sexual assault, relating to Mohamed Al Fayed and others, following the broadcast of a BBC documentary into the Harrod owner’s behaviour.
The Metropolitan Police say the claims relate to 40 alleged victims between 1979 and 2013. Four of the reports were allegations of rape, 16 were sexual assault and one related to trafficking, the Met said.
Before the recent media coverage, 21 allegations were made against the late billionaire which resulted in crimes being recorded relating to 21 separate women between 2005 and 2023.
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.
The Met Police said that while it would not be possible to bring criminal proceedings against Al Fayed – who died last year aged 94 – it would “continue to explore whether any other individuals could be pursued for any criminal offences”.
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.”
It comes after a further 65 women have come forward to the BBC with allegations of abuse by Mohamed Al Fayed stretching as far back as 1977, the broadcaster said on Thursday.
The fresh claims include new details of sexual harassment, sexual assault and rape sent to the BBC in the weeks following the airing of the broadcaster’s Al Fayed: Predator At Harrods documentary.
The former Harrods and Fulham FC owner who died last year aged 94, is accused of multiple sexual assaults after the BBC investigation was published last month.
Among the new claims sent to the BBC is a woman who says she was assaulted by Mr Al Fayed in Dubai in 1977, the earliest accusation of abuse so far.
The BBC reported that 37 of the 65 new women to come forward said they had worked at Harrods.
In a statement to the BBC, Harrods said: “Since the airing of the documentary, so far there are 200-plus individuals who are now in the Harrods process to settle claims directly with the business.”
The accusations come after barristers representing alleged victims of Mr Al Fayed said last week the group has more than 70 clients.
Meanwhile, Justice for Harrods Survivors said the number of women “feeling safe to come forward” was “increasing on a daily basis”.
