An alleged victim of former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed has condemned the Metropolitan Police after her confidential statement was mistakenly sent to another person. Joanna Brittan, from Devon, claimed she was trafficked by Al Fayed and raped by his business associate, Ahmed Obaidly.
Details of the Breach
In 2017, Ms Brittan submitted a statement to Devon and Cornwall Police detailing her allegations. However, it later emerged that notes of her account, along with her date of birth, address, and phone number, were sent to another alleged victim in Australia. The error occurred after her case was transferred to the Met Police, who then mistakenly forwarded her statement.
Ms Brittan described the force as "shambolic, incompetent and complicit" following the breach. The data leak was attributed to human error and reported to the Information Commissioner's Office. The Met Police offered Ms Brittan a one-off payment in response.
Impact on the Investigation
Her initial statement was part of a rape allegation against Obaidly, a UAE diplomat. In 2020, she participated in a video interview providing further details, but was later informed the investigation would not proceed as Obaidly had died in 2015.
Jasvinder Sanghera, an Independent Survivor Advocate for Harrods, called the error "appalling" and said it undermined confidence in the system for survivors.
Met Police Response
A Met Police spokesperson stated: "The live investigation into those who could have facilitated or enabled Mohamed Al Fayed's offending continues. The way the Met works has moved on immeasurably, and our teams have transformed the way we investigate rape and sexual offences." The force added that it continues to support all victims and urged anyone with information to come forward.
Ms Brittan is now being considered as a potential victim of modern slavery under the National Referral Mechanism. She expressed relief at being able to "lift the shame that was never mine to carry."
She is one of around 200 potential victims of Al Fayed, who are scheduled to meet virtually with Sir Keir Starmer. Additionally, a serving Met detective and four former officers are under investigation for potential misconduct regarding the handling of allegations against Al Fayed.
Al Fayed died in 2023 at age 94 without being charged. The Mirror has contacted the Met Police for further comment.
