Met Police Under Scrutiny for 2008 Complaints Against Mohamed Al Fayed
The Met Police’s handling of complaints against Al Fayed is now under investigation
Mohamed Al Fayed, Metropolitan Police, London, UK, Sexual Abuse
London: So, it turns out the Metropolitan Police is facing some serious questions about how they dealt with complaints against Mohamed Al Fayed back in 2008. They’re looking into two specific complaints, and it’s all being overseen by a watchdog.
Right now, the Met is reviewing a total of 21 allegations that were made before Al Fayed passed away in 2023. They referred two of these complaints to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) last November.
On Wednesday, the IOPC said that the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards will keep investigating these complaints, but they’ll be doing it under the watchdog’s guidance.
Steve Noonan, who’s in charge of operations at the IOPC, expressed sympathy for the victims who came forward with allegations against Al Fayed. He mentioned that there’s a lot of public concern about this case, especially since many allegations were made while he was still alive.
Noonan emphasized the importance of investigating these complaints to see if there were any missed chances or failures by the police back in 2008. He also noted that the investigation could expand beyond just the two complaints, especially since they’re looking into a broader range of allegations.
More than 100 people have reportedly reached out to the police, claiming they were sexually abused by Al Fayed, with the youngest victim being just 13 at the time. Some allegations were made against him while he was still alive.
Interestingly, the police had sent files to the Crown Prosecution Service for a charging decision twice—once in 2008 and again in 2015—but nothing came of it. They also sought early advice from the CPS a few times in the following years, but again, the police didn’t pursue it further.
In November, the Met confirmed they’re looking into more than five individuals who might have helped Al Fayed in his alleged abuse of numerous women and girls. They’re trying to figure out who around him could have enabled these crimes, which reportedly went on for decades.
On top of all this, there are also allegations of police corruption, with reports suggesting that some officers might have taken bribes to help Al Fayed avoid accusations and persecute staff. It’s a pretty messy situation.