Egyptian Billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed Embroiled in Explosive Sex Assault Scandal
- Agence France-Presse, citing the British attorney general's office, reported that he admitted he had decided twice, in 2009 and 2015, not to pursue Al-Fayed despite a police investigation.
- The former owner of London's Harrods department store, who died last year aged 94, was described as a "monster" during a press conference on Friday by lawyers representing...
- They denounced what they described as a "system" that "has led to a quarter century of sexual oppression."
The media has revealed a scandal related to the sexual assault case against the late Egyptian businessman Mohamed Al-Fayed.
Agence France-Presse, citing the British attorney general’s office, reported that he admitted he had decided twice, in 2009 and 2015, not to pursue Al-Fayed despite a police investigation.
The former owner of London’s Harrods department store, who died last year aged 94, was described as a “monster” during a press conference on Friday by lawyers representing at least 37 plaintiffs.
They denounced what they described as a “system” that “has led to a quarter century of sexual oppression.”
Lawyers said they had received “more than 150 new requests” in recent days from “survivors” and “people with evidence” against al-Fayed, the father of Princess Diana’s last friend “Dodi”, who died with her. A car accident in Paris on August 31, 1997. .
London police explained on Friday that they had investigated sexual assault on several occasions without ordering any prosecution against al-Fayed.
A spokesman for the Public Prosecution Office confirmed on Sunday: “We examined the evidence provided by the police in 2009 and 2015.”
“To initiate proceedings, the prosecution must be satisfied that there is a realistic possibility of conviction… but our prosecutors have carefully examined the evidence and concluded that this is not the case,” he told reporters.
In 2008, a 15-year-old girl accused Al-Fayed of sexual assault in a Harrods meeting room, which the latter denied, according to the BBC. The following year, the prosecution decided not to prosecute due to “conflicting evidence”.
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Then in 2013, a woman filed a rape complaint against the businessman, but this case was also not investigated.
According to the Sunday Times, police conducted 3 other investigations following complaints made by 3 women in 2018, 2021 and 2023, but prosecutors were not given a summary of the evidence.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was Director of Public Prosecutions between 2008 and 2013. A Downing Street spokesman said the government had “not acted” on al-Fayed’s case, which had “not been brought to its attention.”