Mohamed Al Fayed abuse survivors confirmed as human trafficking victims

At least five survivors of abuse by the late Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed have been officially confirmed as victims of human trafficking, the UK Home Office has determined. This confirmation comes as a group of survivors urged the Metropolitan police to prioritize trafficking in their investigation, arguing that Fayed could not have committed his offenses without associates supplying women.

The women were victims of both international and domestic trafficking. One survivor recounted being recruited for a fake role at Harrods, while another was hired for a legitimate position before being targeted for abuse. These incidents span from the 1990s to after Harrods was sold in 2010.

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But it’s a really significant thing, getting that decision, seeing it in writing that you were a victim of modern slavery and trafficking is very … it’s really shocking to read.

Operation Cornpoppy, the police investigation into who may have facilitated Fayed's crimes, has questioned four individuals over the 21 months since its inception. One survivor, known as Justine, described feeling

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He couldn’t have done what he did without Harrods processing women to him and silencing them afterwards. It wasn’t just Harrods, obviously. It was any entity that Fayed owned or had control of. It was his yachts, his aviation business, the Ritz Paris, his properties all over France and Monaco. It went as far as the States and the UAE – anywhere that man touched.