The Metropolitan Police has referred itself to the police watchdog over complaints from two women about the handling of investigations into allegations made against Mohamed Al Fayed.
The two women made complaints about investigations from 2008 and 2013.
According to the Met, they have raised concerns about the quality of police response and, in the case of the 2013 investigation, how details came to be disclosed publicly.
Commander Stephen Clayman, from the Met’s Specialist Crime team, said: “We are actively reviewing 21 allegations reported to the Metropolitan Police prior to Mohamed Al Fayed’s passing, as well as the related police investigations, to determine if any additional investigative steps are available or there are things we could have done better.
“This process remains active, and we are committed to assessing all new allegations, pursuing justice where possible and transparently addressing any failings.
“In recent weeks, two victims-survivors have come forward with concerns about how their allegations were handled when first reported, and it is only appropriate that the IOPC assess these complaints.
“Although we cannot change the past, we are resolute in our goal to offer every individual who contacts us the highest standard of service and support.
“I encourage anyone with relevant information, whether you were personally affected or have knowledge about others who may have facilitated Al Fayed’s actions to contact us.
“Our priority remains to ensure that no stone is left unturned in the pursuit of justice.”
It comes as more than 400 people have come forward to lawyers concerning allegations of sexual misconduct against former Harrods owner.
The Justice for Harrods Survivors group said last month the majority of the 421 inquiries they were dealing with were “in the Harrods context”, but said others had contacted them from Fulham FC, the Ritz hotel in Paris and elsewhere.
The 421 figure is a combination of alleged victims and witnesses. While the majority are from the UK, 12 women are from America and six from Australia, with others from the United Arab Emirates, Denmark, Spain, Thailand, New Zealand, Italy, Romania and Malaysia.
A number of women made allegations against Fayed in a BBC documentary earlier this year.
The BBC’s Al Fayed: Predator At Harrods documentary reported the claims of five women who said they were raped by Fayed, with a number of others alleging sexual misconduct.
Following the programme, more than 250 people are now in the process of claiming damages from Harrods. Fayed died in 2023, aged 94.
The Metropolitan Police asked prosecutors to decide whether to charge the former Harrods and Fulham FC owner in relation to only two out of 21 women who made allegations, including of rape and sexual assault, between 2005 and 2023.
Evidence was shown to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in 2009 and 2015, but it decided not to go ahead with either because there was not “a realistic prospect of conviction”.
Fayed acquired Harrods for £615 million in 1985. In 2010, after 26 years in charge, he sold the department store to the Qatari royal family for a reported £1.5 billion.
Harrods said in a previous statement: “These were the actions of an individual who was intent on abusing his power wherever he operated and we condemn them in the strongest terms. We also acknowledge that during this time as a business we failed our employees who were his victims and for this we sincerely apologise.
“The Harrods of today is a very different organisation to the one owned and controlled by Al Fayed between 1985 and 2010, it is one that seeks to put the welfare of our employees at the heart of everything we do.”
