At least five victims of the former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed have been confirmed by the Home Office as victims of human trafficking. A group of survivors of abuse by the deceased businessman had previously called for the Metropolitan Police to focus its investigation on trafficking.
The women were victims of international and domestic trafficking. One survivor told the Press Association (PA) that they were recruited to a false role within Harrods, while two others were hired for legitimate roles before being selected for abuse. These cases span from the 1990s to after the 2010 sale of Harrods.
Officers are investigating who may have facilitated Fayed’s crimes as part of Operation Cornpoppy. To date, four people have been questioned in the investigation, which began 21 months ago.
One survivor, identified as Justine, told PA she felt “shellshocked” upon receiving the conclusive grounds decision in June that she had been a victim of modern slavery. Another survivor, Isabella, who worked at Harrods in 2001, stated that Fayed “couldn’t have done what he did without Harrods processing women to him and silencing them afterwards.”
More than 400 allegations of sexual misconduct have been made against Fayed for the period between 1977 and 2014, including claims of rape, sexual assault, human trafficking, and false imprisonment. Fayed died in 2023 at the age of 94 without facing any charges.