Friday, September 20, 2024

Starmer under fire over failure to charge Fayed as chief prosecutor

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The CPS said the teenager’s complaint was the only time a file on Fayed was passed on to them by police.

In 2018, 2021 and 2023, after Sir Keir had left the CPS, it provided “early investigative advice” to the Met following complaints made about Fayed, but “a full file of evidence was never received in each of these instances”.

Another woman contacted the police in 2013 and again in 2015 but the CPS say they had no involvement in that case.

In the BBC documentary Al-Fayed: Predator at Harrods, women who worked at the department store between the 1980s and the 2000s said assaults happened at the company’s offices, at Fayed’s Park Lane apartment and on foreign trips.

The broadcaster says Harrods not only failed to intervene but also helped cover up allegations against Fayed.

‘Utterly Appalled’

The current owners of Harrods said they were “utterly appalled” by the allegations, stressing that the company today was “very different”.

Bruce Drummond, a barrister from a legal team representing several of the women, said: “The spider’s web of corruption and abuse in this company was unbelievable and very dark.”

Commander Kevin Southworth who leads on Public Protection for the Met said: “We are aware of various allegations of sexual offences made over a number of years in relation to the late Mohammed Al-Fayed which were reported to the Met.

“Each one was investigated and, where appropriate, advice from the Crown Prosecution Service was sought. No charges resulted from these investigations.

“As with any investigation, if any further information comes to light it will be assessed and investigated accordingly.”

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