Al-Fayed case: Four accusers recognized as victims of human trafficking

Four women accusing Mohammed Al-Fayed of sexual assault have been officially recognized by the British Home Office as victims of human trafficking. The decisions, issued between May and July, concern alleged offenses committed between the 1990s and 2010s in the United Kingdom and several other countries.

Presented under the pseudonyms Isabella, Justine, Elizabeth, and Margo, they claim to have been subjected to a system of exploitation that went beyond the individual actions of Harrods' former owner. One of them directly implicates the professional environment of the London department store, which she accuses of having facilitated the businessman's access to young female employees before contributing to their silence.

The role of possible accomplices is now at the heart of the investigation.

Since the broadcast of a BBC documentary in September 2024, 157 people have contacted British police to report rapes, sexual assaults, or sexual exploitation attributed to Mohammed Al-Fayed. The former Egyptian businessman, who died in 2023 at over 90 years old, was never prosecuted during his lifetime and can no longer be held criminally liable for these accusations.

The investigation is therefore focused on those who may have facilitated or concealed the events. Six suspects have been questioned, but no arrests have yet been made. Several plaintiffs criticize the British authorities for not sufficiently addressing this collective aspect of the case. An investigation is also underway in France into Mohammed Al-Fayed and his brother Salah, while former Harrods employees are now seeking compensation.