Three women have been questioned by British police as suspects in the ongoing investigation into Mohamed Al-Fayed, the late Egyptian billionaire and former owner of Harrods department store and the Ritz Paris hotel. They are suspected primarily of involvement in rape and human trafficking for sexual exploitation, according to a Metropolitan Police statement.
First Suspects Questioned in Landmark Investigation
The women — aged between 40 and 60 — were interviewed between 25 February and 5 March. They have not been arrested, and the investigation remains active, police confirmed. This marks the first time suspects have been formally questioned in what authorities describe as one of the largest and most complex sexual abuse investigations ever undertaken by London’s Metropolitan Police.
154 Alleged Victims Come Forward
To date, 154 individuals have provided statements to authorities, accusing Al-Fayed of sexual assault, rape, sexual exploitation, and human trafficking. Most victims were young female staff members — sales assistants or aides — employed at Harrods during his ownership.
Al-Fayed died in 2023 at age 96 without ever being questioned by UK police, despite numerous allegations spanning decades. The case was reignited following a BBC investigation broadcast in September 2024. The alleged abuses occurred between 1977 and 2014.
International Dimension: French Authorities Also Investigating
French prosecutors have also been investigating since last summer a large-scale network allegedly orchestrated by Al-Fayed involving the trafficking of women. Several women have given testimony in Paris, including Christina Svensson, who worked as Al-Fayed’s personal assistant at the Ritz. She told France’s national news agency that he abused her “every time he saw her.”
“Although Al-Fayed is no longer alive to face justice, we are determined to hold to account anyone believed to have played a role in these crimes,” said Angela Craggs, head of the Metropolitan Police’s specialist operations unit overseeing the probe.