British police on Thursday (26) urged anyone with allegations against former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed to come forward. Officers said they would seek to prosecute people linked to the case after several women accused the late billionaire of sexual abuse and rape.
A BBC documentary aired last week alleges that Al Fayed sexually abused female employees at his London department store and threatened them if they tried to seek justice. The documentary claims the company failed to intervene and helped cover up allegations of abuse during his ownership from 1985 to 2010.
Although Al Fayed himself died last year aged 94, London’s Metropolitan Police said it would investigate whether other individuals could be prosecuted for criminal offences.
“It is crucial that all victims have a voice and can report any allegations if they have not done so before and know they will be taken seriously,” said Stephen Clayman, head of specialist crime at the Metropolitan Police.
“We have specialist teams in place to ensure that all victims who contact us are supported in the best possible way.”
Lawyers representing women alleging rape and sexual assault against Al Fayed said they had received more than 150 new requests after the case became public.
Harrods, which was sold by Al Fayed to the Qatari royal family’s investment fund in 2010, said in response to the allegations that it was “utterly shocked”.
In the past, several media organisations have exposed allegations of sexual abuse against Al Fayed, including Vanity Fair in 1995, Britain’s ITV in 1997 and Channel 4 in 2017. However, many of the women only felt able to speak out publicly after Al Fayed’s death.
In 2009, prosecutors decided not to charge Al Fayed with sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl in his store, saying there was no realistic prospect of conviction.
The businessman has always denied the accusations.
This content was originally published in UK police investigate other allegations against former Harrods owner on CNN Brasil.
Source: CNN Brasil
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