Watchdog to review police handling of Al Fayed abuse claims

The police watchdog will review how Metropolitan Police officers handled allegations of sexual misconduct against former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) will review two cases the Met Police investigated in 2008 and 2013 after the force referred itself.

Hundreds of women have alleged the billionaire, who died last year aged 94, raped or sexually assaulted them.

Police are looking into some claims and Harrods is also settling hundreds of claims.

In a documentary which aired in September, the BBC revealed Al Fayed was accused by 21 women of sexual offences while he was alive.

Since the documentary aired, more than 400 alleged victims or witnesses have come forward to lawyers with allegations of assault, harassment and rape over a period of more than 30 years when they were his employees.

However, questions have been raised around the Met's investigations.

Of the 21 women who made allegations before September this year, the Met did not pass full files of evidence to prosecutors on 19 of the women who approached them.

An IOPC spokesperson said it had contacted the Met in September to ask if the force had "identified any conduct issues that would require a referral".

In a statement issued on Friday, the IOPC confirmed it had received two complaint referrals from the Met and would "assess the information provided before deciding what further action may be required".

Multiple people have contacted the BBC directly about Harrods and Al Fayed since the documentary Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods aired.

More than 70 of those were from women who sent the BBC their accounts of abuse by the billionaire including sexual harassment, sexual assault and rape.

The abuse allegedly took place at Fulham FC, the Ritz Hotel Paris and Harrods, as well as other places owned by Al Fayed.

Fulham FC told the BBC: "We unequivocally condemn all forms of abuse. We remain in the process of establishing whether anyone at the club is or would have been impacted by Mohamed Al Fayed in any manner as described in recent reports."

Al Fayed owned Harrods between 1985 and 2010. The store's new owners have previously said they are "appalled" by the allegations of sexual abuse and have been investigating since 2023 whether any current members of staff were involved.

Harrods previously told the BBC that it was in the process of settling more than 250 claims for compensation brought by victims of Al Fayed. That figure has since risen to more than 290.

The boss of Harrods personally apologised after being approached by the BBC.