Detectives investigating sexual assault allegations against late Harrods owner Mohamed al-Fayed have sent a file of evidence against a suspect in his 80s to UK prosecutors.
The Metropolitan Police emailed survivor groups on Monday informing them that detectives had sent a file to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) after conducting interviews with a man and woman in their 80s.
The two were interviewed under caution last month on suspicion of aiding and abetting rape and sexual assault, and assisting the commission of sexual offences.
Charging decision pending
The move means the CPS must now decide whether charges will be filed, as 156 alleged victims await answers after coming forward to the Met.
In its email on Monday, the Met told survivor groups that detectives "submitted a full evidential file" to the CPS for a charging decision, and that detectives would be "pursuing all available lines of inquiry".
The message read: "Met Police detectives have today submitted a full evidential file to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for a charging decision.
"The file relates to one suspect, a man in his 80s, and relates to two indecent assaults on two women in London. Officers will continue to work closely with CPS prosecutors as the case progresses."
Investigation details
To date, seven suspects have been interviewed under caution on suspicion of offences including aiding and abetting rape and sexual assault, assisting in the commission of sexual offences, and human trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation.
Met detectives have been dealing with at least 156 alleged victims who made direct contact, among them 21 who came forward before al-Fayed's death in 2023. The former Harrods owner died aged 94 in 2023 without having faced any charges.
Harrods said it was "utterly appalled" by the allegations and has been working to "do the right thing as an organisation".
Survivor demands
Fayed survivor groups have called on the Met to also confirm facts about other aspects of the investigation, including key pieces of evidence.
A spokesman from the Fayed survivor group, No One Above, said: "We call on the Met to confirm it is securing evidence on all perpetrators and co-conspirators - including the financial and documentary evidence of how victims were recruited, screened, moved, harboured and silenced."
More than 400 allegations of sexual misconduct have been made against Fayed, dating between 1977 and 2014, including sexual assault, rape, sexual exploitation and human trafficking.
The investigation, known as Operation Cornpoppy, was launched in November 2024 and is looking at people who may have facilitated or enabled al-Fayed's crimes. Seven people have been questioned under caution: four women in their 40s, 50s, 60s and 80s, and three men in their 60s, 70s and 80s. Harrods was sold by al-Fayed in 2010.
