Sexual assault allegations have been made relating to Mohamed Al Fayed’s 16 years of ownership of Fulham FC, lawyers representing accusers have said.
More than 200 women have come forward with allegations since a BBC documentary last week reported claims that Fayed raped five women who worked at Harrods.
The new allegations include several relating to Fayed’s time at Fulham, according to a spokesperson for Justice for Harrods Survivors, a group of barristers representing the alleged victims.
The billionaire Egyptian owned the club between 1997 and 2013, during which time he invested about £200m to help get the team into the top flight.
A spokesperson for Fulham said the club “remain in the process of establishing whether anyone at the club is or has been affected by the reports concerning Mr Al Fayed”.
The Football Association said it was “aware of the reports and will remain in contact with Fulham FC to monitor the matter”.
During Fayed’s time at the club it established its first professional women’s team. Gaute Haugenes, who managed Fulham’s women’s team between 2001 and 2003, told the BBC last week that the allegations had not come as “the biggest surprise”.
Referring to members of staff at Fulham, he said: “We were aware he liked young, blond girls. So we just made sure that situations couldn’t occur. We protected the players.”
On Thursday, Dr Ann Coxon, who worked for Al Fayed, denied carrying out sexual health tests on Harrods staff, a claim made by multiple women who worked at the department store.
Asked by the BBC on a London street whether she had conducted such tests, she replied “no”, an answer she repeated when asked whether she regretted having worked for Al Fayed.
The Metropolitan police said they were investigating a number of new allegations against Fayed in addition to 19 allegations made between 2005 and his death in 2023 at the age of 94.
The force said it would carry out “full reviews of all existing allegations” of incidents said to have taken place between 1979 and 2013 to ensure there were “no new lines of inquiry based on new information which has emerged”.
Police said that although it was not possible to bring criminal proceedings against someone who had died, “we must ensure we fully explore whether any other individuals could be pursued for any criminal offences”.
The Met said officers were making contact with lawyers representing alleged victims to “ensure they have the opportunity to speak with us and report any offences”.
Commander Stephen Clayman said: “We recognise the significance of the allegations made against Mohamed Al Fayed and the impact this has had on those affected. We have specialist teams to ensure all those victims who make contact with us are supported in the best way possible.
“I understand that for many years many people have sought answers in relation to this case. We will do everything possible to update on our progress when we can, but it is crucial we do this thoroughly and we do it right.”
The Met said complaints made by 19 women were reported to the force between 2005 and 2023, including three allegations of rape, 15 sexual assault complaints and one related to trafficking.
Police approached the Crown Prosecution Service five times, including two occasions where a full file of evidence was passed on, in 2009 and 2015. No further action was taken against Fayed in respect of the original complaints.
