Posted by The Metropolitan Police took no action against Mohamed al-Fayed despite 19 sex assault and rape reports, the force has admitted.
There were allegations from 19 different women, with three allegations of rape, 15 of sexual assault and one related to trafficking.
Yet despite this, the force admitted that for every allegation, no further action was taken against the then-Harrods owner.It came as a former Scotland Yard chief superintendent claimed Harrods’s close relationship with the Met Police ‘felt corrupt‘.
Stephen Otter alleged he was told by another officer in 1999 that the ‘special relationship’ with the department store ‘benefits both us and them’. The Met said: ‘Between 2005 and 2023 we approached the Crown Prosecution Service on five occasions – two of these, in 2009 and 2015, were to pass full files of evidence. The remaining three approaches were for early investigative advice.
Commander Stephen Clayman said: ‘We recognise the significance of the allegations made against Mohamed Al Fayed and the impact this has had on those affected. He added: ‘I just felt deeply uncomfortable with the relationship. It was a relationship in which this department store had huge amounts of power over the leaders of the areas of policing around them.
‘It felt like a corrupt relationship on both sides.’
‘It is vital that any victims have a voice and are able to report any allegations if they have not done so before, and know that they will be taken seriously.
‘We have specialist teams to ensure all those victims who make contact with us are supported in the best way possible.
‘I understand that for many years many people have sought answers in relation to this case.
He added: ‘I just felt deeply uncomfortable with the relationship. It was a relationship in which this department store had huge amounts of power over the leaders of the areas of policing around them.
‘It felt like a corrupt relationship on both sides.’
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