Complaints filed to police watchdog over Met’s handling of Al Fayed abuse allegations
Mohamed Al Fayed died in 2023 without charges. The Met is investigating 155 victims, at least 21 of whom came forward before his death. The IOPC is already probing five officers over the case.
Survivors of abuse at the hands of the late Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed have filed complaints with the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) over how the Metropolitan Police handled allegations.
The IOPC confirmed on Sunday that three victims had lodged complaints this week about the Met’s handling of the case between 2018 and 2024. The watchdog said it would assess the complaints before deciding on any further action.
The IOPC is already investigating one serving and four former Met officers for potential misconduct in connection with the case. That investigation, led by the Met’s directorate of professional standards under the watchdog’s direction, involves reports from four victims.
The Met is investigating allegations from at least 155 victims, with at least 21 understood to have come forward before Al Fayed’s death. Operation Cornpoppy, launched 19 months ago, is examining potential suspects who may have facilitated or enabled Al Fayed’s crimes. As of last week, only four people had been interviewed under caution.
A Met spokesperson said: “We are assisting the IOPC as it carries out an independent investigation into our handling of reports of sexual offending by Mohamed Al Fayed. The IOPC is investigating complaints against five officers. The serving of notices does not mean that misconduct proceedings will necessarily follow.”
Lawyers representing survivors said 421 people had come forward about abuse allegedly taking place at Harrods, the Ritz hotel in Paris, Fulham FC, and other businesses owned by Al Fayed. Victims have called for a wider investigation into trafficking, arguing that without it the “true scale” of the billionaire’s alleged network would remain hidden.
The collective “No One Above” (NOA), founded by Al Fayed victims, urged the National Crime Agency to set up a joint investigation team with the Met and oversee the inquiry.
Earlier in June, Prime Minister Keir Starmer met about 200 survivors via video call. A Downing Street spokesperson said: “The prime minister met survivors of Mohamed Fayed, paid tribute to their courage, and made clear he stands with them in their fight for justice. This is the beginning, not the end, of working with survivors.”
