The Met faces an inquiry over its response to allegations against Mohamed Al Fayed, with new complaints emerging from victims.
London: So, it turns out the police watchdog is diving into some fresh complaints about how the Met handled allegations against Mohamed Al Fayed. This comes from a couple of victims who are pretty upset about the whole situation.
These complaints date back to 2008 and 2013, and they’re being looked at by the Met’s professional standards team, with the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) keeping an eye on things.
What’s really concerning is that these complaints involve how the police responded to claims of sexual assault against Fayed, who sadly passed away in 2023. One of the complaints even mentions how details about the allegations got leaked to the press back in 2013.
The IOPC is expecting the Met’s review of 21 allegations against Fayed to grow as more victims come forward. Steve Noonan, the IOPC’s director of operations, expressed sympathy for the victims and highlighted the public concern surrounding this case.
He mentioned that there have been numerous allegations over the years while Fayed was still alive, and it’s crucial to investigate these complaints to see if the police missed any chances to properly look into them back in 2008.
Fayed was arrested in 2013 over a rape allegation but was never charged. Recently, reports have surfaced claiming that some corrupt police officers may have helped him in targeting his staff, including a young woman who turned down his advances.
In November, the Met revealed that Fayed might have raped and abused at least 111 women and girls over nearly four decades. This includes 21 alleged victims who reported crimes to the police between 2005 and his death, plus 90 women who came forward after a BBC documentary aired in September.
It’s shocking to think that over 400 alleged victims have stepped forward about Fayed’s behavior. Harrods is also dealing with more than 250 people who are part of the process to settle compensation claims against him.
