Watchdog to evaluation police dealing with of abuse claims | EUROtoday

The police watchdog will evaluation how Metropolitan Police officers dealt with allegations of sexual misconduct in opposition to former Harrods proprietor Mohamed Al Fayed.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) will evaluation two instances the Met Police investigated in 2008 and 2013 after the pressure referred itself.

Hundreds of ladies have alleged the billionaire, who died final yr aged 94, raped or sexually assaulted them.

Police are trying into some claims and Harrods can also be settling a whole bunch of claims.

In a documentary which aired in September, the BBC revealed Al Fayed was accused by 21 ladies of sexual offences whereas he was alive.

Since the documentary aired, greater than 400 alleged victims have come ahead with allegations of assault, harassment and rape over a interval of greater than 30 years once they have been his workers.

However, questions have been raised across the Met’s investigations.

Of the 21 ladies who made allegations earlier than September this yr, the Met didn’t go full recordsdata of proof to prosecutors on 19 of the ladies who approached them.

An IOPC spokesperson mentioned it had contacted the Met in September to ask if the pressure had “identified any conduct issues that would require a referral”.

In an announcement issued on Friday, the IOPC confirmed it had acquired two criticism referrals from the Met and would “assess the information provided before deciding what further action may be required”.

Hundreds of individuals have contacted the BBC immediately about Harrods and Al Fayed for the reason that documentary Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods aired.

More than 70 of these have been from ladies who despatched the BBC their accounts of abuse by the billionaire together with sexual harassment, sexual assault and rape.

The abuse allegedly came about at Fulham FC, the Ritz Hotel Paris and Harrods, in addition to different locations owned by Al Fayed.

Fulham FC instructed the BBC: “We unequivocally condemn all forms of abuse. We remain in the process of establishing whether anyone at the club is or would have been impacted by Mohamed Al Fayed in any manner as described in recent reports.”

Al Fayed owned Harrods between 1985 and 2010. The retailer’s new house owners have beforehand mentioned they’re “appalled” by the allegations of sexual abuse and have been investigating since 2023 whether or not any present members of employees have been concerned.

Harrods beforehand instructed the BBC that it was within the strategy of settling greater than 250 claims for compensation introduced by victims of Al Fayed. That determine has since risen to greater than 290.

The boss of Harrods personally apologised after being approached by the BBC.