Man interviewed on suspicion of sex trafficking in Al Fayed investigation

One man has been interviewed under caution in relation to the police investigation into the individuals who may have facilitated or enabled offending by the former Harrods boss, Mohamed Al Fayed, the Metropolitan Police has said.

The man, in his 60s, was questioned on suspicion of offences including aiding and abetting rape and sexual assault, and human trafficking for sexual exploitation.

Earlier this month, the Met said it had interviewed three women aged in their 40s, 50s and 60s on suspicion of the same offences.

No arrests have been made at this time and the investigation remains ongoing, the Met said.

The Met says 154 victims have come forward to report allegations of sexual assault, rape, sexual exploitation and human trafficking in relation to the Al Fayed case.

The scope of the inquiry has been widened to cover alleged human trafficking.

Before any suspect was interviewed under caution, lawyers representing Al Fayed's victims urged police to treat the scandal as "trafficking allegations".

Multiple women have accused Al Fayed, who owned the luxury Harrods store in London between 1985 and 2010, of rape and sexual assault. He died in 2023 aged 94.

At the time of many of the alleged attacks, Fayed was the owner of Harrods, the Ritz Paris hotel and Fulham FC.

The extent of the businessman's predatory behaviour was revealed in a BBC documentary and podcast, broadcast in September 2024.

Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods heard testimony from more than 20 female ex-Harrods employees who said Al Fayed sexually assaulted or raped them.

Cdr Angela Craggs said the Met was "determined to bring anyone who is suspected to have played a part in [Al Fayed's] offending to justice".

She added that the investigation was "complex and far-reaching" and encouraged anyone with relevant information to contact the police.

Emma Jones, who represents a number of survivors at the law firm Leigh Day, said: "We welcome the development that another individual has now been interviewed under caution. Based on the accounts provided by our clients, we would expect interviews of further individuals to follow.

"The trafficking ring operating around Al Fayed was extensive, and it is unlikely that responsibility for such a long‑running operation rests with only four individuals.

"Our clients have made it clear that a wider network of people enabled this exploitation, and we anticipate that more suspects will be identified as the investigation continues."

Earlier this week, some of Al Fayed's victims said they felt neither the Met nor the government had gone far enough in investigating what they described as "Britain's own Epstein scandal".

Around 30 survivors attended a virtual meeting with the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Survivors of Fayed and Harrods, during which they spoke with Jess Phillips, the minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls.

Campaign group Justice for Fayed and Harrods Survivors said that they hoped to bring "accountability for Harrods Fayed businesses and, most importantly, the dozens upon dozens of people who either enabled our abuse or looked the other way as it happened. "

A meeting with the prime minister is expected in the next few weeks.

In a statement, the Home Office said: "Operational decisions about investigations are matters for the police, but the minister [Jess Phillips] has committed to ensuring that the Home Office supports agencies to work effectively together, and that any systemic issues raised by survivors are given consideration."