Almost Half of Fayed Accusers May Be Trafficking Victims

Published: 02 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

Almost half of the women who have reported allegations of sexual abuse by Mohamed Al Fayed to the Metropolitan police may have experienced circumstances bearing the hallmarks of human trafficking, according to information presented to a parliamentary group representing survivors of alleged abuse connected to the former Harrods owner.

Senior Metropolitan police officers told the all-party parliamentary group for the survivors of Fayed and Harrods that a review carried out earlier this year identified 70 survivors whose accounts contained indicators associated with trafficking. The figure has raised concerns that the number of women eventually formally recognised as trafficking victims could be considerably higher than the five cases already confirmed by the Home Office.

The disclosure adds another significant dimension to an investigation that has already involved hundreds of women who have come forward with allegations concerning Fayed. Survivors’ groups say more than 500 women have reported alleged abuse connected to Harrods and other properties or organisations associated with him, while the Metropolitan police are investigating 165 victims who have contacted the force directly.

The police investigation, known as Operation Cornpoppy, has been examining allegations concerning incidents in Britain and abroad. According to senior officers involved in the investigation, some women were allegedly moved from Harrods to Fayed’s private offices and residences, including his Park Lane premises, while others were taken outside the United Kingdom and subjected to alleged abuse overseas.

The potential trafficking element has become particularly important for survivors who say they were moved, controlled or transported as part of the alleged abuse. Some have also raised concerns about whether women living outside Britain are receiving equal recognition under the system used by UK authorities to identify potential victims of modern slavery and human trafficking.

Wendy Chamberlain, Liberal Democrat MP and co-chair of the parliamentary group, said the number of officially recognised trafficking victims could increase significantly as the investigation develops. She also drew comparisons between the scale of the allegations surrounding Fayed and the extensive abuse associated with Jimmy Savile, although the circumstances and investigations involving the two men are separate.

Dave Robertson, the Labour MP who also co-chairs the group, said the number of women allegedly trafficked as part of what he described as Fayed’s trafficking network was likely to be much higher than the number currently confirmed through the official process.

For some survivors, the issue is not simply about the number of cases but about whether their experiences are being formally acknowledged.

One survivor, referred to as Amy, said she was allegedly moved between her home, Harrods and properties connected to Fayed while working for him. She said she initially worked on the shop floor at Harrods before being transferred to a personal assistant role at Fayed’s private residence and office at 60 Park Lane in London.

Amy has alleged that Fayed sexually abused her during this period. She also described being transported to his estate in Oxted, Surrey, where she alleges that she was sexually assaulted in a swimming pool area hidden behind a concealed door.

She said the movements between locations were accompanied by changes in clothing that she did not choose herself. In her account, she described being taken from her home in Hammersmith and dressed in clothes such as polo shirts, Bermuda shorts and boat shoes before being transported elsewhere.

For Amy, those experiences contributed to her belief that she was being controlled and moved in a manner consistent with trafficking. She has said that the process made her feel that her own identity was being taken away from her.

Amy now lives in Italy and has raised concerns about whether survivors living abroad can obtain formal recognition through the UK’s National Referral Mechanism, or NRM. The system is used by police and other authorised first responders to refer people suspected of being victims of human trafficking or modern slavery.

In June, Amy wrote to the then minister responsible for safeguarding and violence against women and girls, raising concerns about the apparent treatment of survivors who no longer live in Britain. The Home Office subsequently responded that there was no requirement for a potential victim to be resident in the UK before being referred to the NRM by police or another first responder organisation.

However, Amy later said she was informed by her Metropolitan police contact officer that the Home Office had indicated referrals concerning people living overseas would be rejected.

The apparent difference between the stated policy and the experience reported by survivors has prompted criticism from lawyers and campaigners.

KPL, the law firm representing Amy and 277 other alleged survivors of Fayed’s abuse, said almost one quarter of the women it represents now live outside the UK. The firm has questioned the consistency of the process for identifying and recognising potential trafficking victims.

Lucy Traynor, a senior associate at KPL, said some people whose experiences appeared to meet the threshold for trafficking were still encountering difficulties obtaining official recognition. She argued that Amy’s situation illustrated the difficulties faced by survivors living outside Britain.

The debate centres partly on the practical operation of the National Referral Mechanism. Police forces, charities and other designated first responders can refer individuals when there are concerns that they may have been subjected to trafficking or modern slavery.

The Home Office then makes an initial reasonable-grounds decision, considering whether there are sufficient indications that the person may have been a victim. A subsequent investigation can lead to a conclusive-grounds decision determining whether the person is formally recognised as a victim.

So far, the Home Office has confirmed that five women who alleged abuse by Fayed were victims of trafficking. The Metropolitan police figures presented to MPs, however, suggest that many more cases could potentially enter the trafficking assessment process if eligibility and referral arrangements change.

Eleanor Lyons, the independent anti-slavery commissioner, has highlighted the complexities surrounding referrals for people who live outside Britain. She said statutory guidance has traditionally linked access to the NRM with being in the UK, partly because recognised victims can receive support such as accommodation, counselling and other assistance.

Lyons has nevertheless called for the government to reconsider the position, arguing that some survivors primarily want recognition of what happened to them even when they are living abroad and may not require the full package of UK-based support.

The issue is particularly sensitive because survivors of alleged sexual abuse may already face significant barriers when attempting to report their experiences years after the alleged incidents. Formal recognition can carry an important personal and legal significance, even where practical support must be provided in another country.

The Metropolitan police confirmed that it had previously submitted referrals involving potential trafficking victims living both in Britain and abroad. According to the force, referrals involving people living outside the UK were rejected, leading officers to pause further submissions while the policy position remains unchanged.

The force said its support for victims would continue regardless of where they live.

The Home Office paid tribute to the courage of survivors who have come forward and said it was committed to ensuring that people affected by modern slavery receive appropriate support to recover and rebuild their lives.

Harrods has also said it supports survivors in their pursuit of justice and continues to cooperate with the Metropolitan police investigation.

The allegations surrounding Fayed have already generated a wide-ranging investigation into how women were allegedly recruited, controlled, moved and abused across different locations. The latest figures presented to MPs indicate that the trafficking dimension could become an increasingly important part of that investigation.

For survivors living abroad, however, the question remains whether recognition of their experiences will depend on where they now live. As police continue examining hundreds of allegations, the difference between the number of women whose accounts may contain trafficking indicators and the number formally recognised as victims is likely to remain an important issue for investigators, lawmakers and survivor-support organisations.

The developing investigation also highlights the long-term consequences of alleged abuse. Many of the women who have come forward are now living very different lives from the period in which they say the alleged abuse occurred. Their accounts, and the authorities’ response to them, are now being examined years later as investigators attempt to establish the full scale and nature of the allegations.