(London) London police on Friday asked the “police department” to examine complaints made by two women regarding its handling of investigations into alleged sexual abuse perpetrated by the late Mohamed Al-Fayed, then owner of the department store luxury Harrod’s.
Published yesterday at 3:23 p.m.
The complaints, sent to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), relate to cases from 2008 and 2013.
They focus on the quality of the police response and, in the case of the 2013 investigation, how the details were made public.
“In recent weeks, two victims have raised concerns about the way their testimonies were handled, and it is entirely appropriate for the IOPC to assess these complaints,” said Stephen Clayman of the IOPC team. fight against specialized crime of the Ministry of Justice.
“While we cannot change the past, we are committed to providing each person who contacts us with the highest level of service and support,” he added.
The Metropolitan Police said Friday it was “actively reviewing 21 testimonies filed before the death [en août 2023, NDLR] of Mohamed Al Fayed to determine if additional investigative measures are possible or if there are things we could have done better.”
These testimonies follow the broadcast, in September, of a BBC documentary reporting multiple accusations of rape and sexual assault allegedly committed by the Egyptian businessman.
The Justice for Harrods Survivors group said it had received 421 requests, mainly linked to the store, but also to Fulham soccer club, the Ritz hotel in Paris and other venues.
More than 400 women and witnesses have come forward over the past six weeks to denounce sexual abuse by Mohamed Al-Fayed, who died at the age of 94.
