Mohamed Al Fayed may have raped and abused more than 111 women, say police
Guardian21 hrs
UK: Police Open Investigation of Alleged Al Fayed Abuse Associates
Above: Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed points as he clashes with journalists at the High Court on Feb. 18, 2008 in London, England. Image copyright: Daniel Berehulak/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
London's Metropolitan Police said Wednesday that it has launched a new investigation into individuals associated with Mohammed Al Fayed — the late billionaire owner of Harrods between 1985 and 2010 who faces dozens of allegations of sexual abuse. He died aged 94 last year.
Following a public appeal, a total of 90 people have been identified as potential victims, with some reporting multiple offenses. While acknowledging that it did not pursue Al Fayed's prosecution while he was alive, police said a dedicated unit was investigating all lines of inquiry and looking into individuals who may have facilitated the alleged criminality.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
While the police knows that their failure to prosecute Al Fayed in the past has impacted the public's trust, the force is committed to rebuilding that relationship by prosecuting all who aided and abetted his crimes, as well as taking a full accounting within the force's own ranks to see if there were lessons to be learned or any missed opportunities.
Establishment-critical narrative
A large reason that Al Fayed was able to get away with his crimes is that corrupt police officers helped scare the sex abuser's victims into dropping their cases. Now that it transpires Al Fayed was one of the UK's most notorious sex offenders with hundreds of victims, while some justice may be found for those who were abused, the police investigation remains too little, too late.
