Allegations of Sexual Abuse by Mohamed Al Fayed Linked to Human-Trafficking Claims

Senior Metropolitan Police officers briefed an all-party parliamentary group (APPG) in July, saying a review earlier this year identified 70 accounts of alleged abuse by Mohamed Al Fayed that bore the hallmarks of trafficking. The investigation, dubbed Operation Cornpoppy, focuses on claims that women were moved from Harrods to Fayed’s private offices at 60 Park Lane and, in some cases, abroad to locations such as an estate in Oxted, Surrey, and a Ritz hotel in Paris.

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• More than 500 women have reportedly come forward about abuse at sites owned by Fayed.

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• The Met is directly handling 165 self-identified victims.

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• The Home Office has confirmed five women as trafficking victims, while police suggest the figure could rise.

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• Legal firm KP Law (KPL) represents Amy and 277 other alleged survivors; roughly a quarter now reside outside the United Kingdom.

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The Met police spokesperson said referrals of overseas victims to the Home Office had been rejected, prompting a pause on further submissions until the Home Office’s position changes, while affirming continued support for all survivors. A Home Office spokesperson praised the “incredible bravery” of survivors and pledged ongoing assistance for modern-slavery victims. Independent anti-slavery commissioner Eleanor Lyons noted that statutory guidance requires victims to be in the UK for National Referral Mechanism (NRM) referrals, a rule she urged the Home Office to reconsider because many survivors simply seek formal recognition.

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Lucy Traynor, senior associate at KPL, criticised the inconsistent eligibility advice, arguing that survivors whose experiences meet trafficking thresholds still struggle for recognition, especially when living abroad. She described the gap between Home Office commitments and practice as “simply not acceptable.”

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• “I can’t believe that wouldn’t increase,” — Wendy Chamberlain, a co-chair of the APPG

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• “The number of women who were trafficked by Mohammed Fayed and his trafficking ring is certainly much higher.” — Labour MP Dave Robertson, the APPG’s other co-chair

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• “I would be removed from my home in Hammersmith and then be changed into clothes like Lacoste polo shirts and Bermuda shorts and boat shoes, which I absolutely hated,” — Amy. Photograph

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• “The government should be doing everything it can to make it easier to identify these women and recognise them as potential victims of modern slavery,” — Eleanor Lyons, the independent anti-slavery commissioner

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• “We were previously making referrals to the Home Office for victims living in the UK and abroad, but those relating to victims living abroad were being rejected. As a result, we have paused any further such referrals. Should the Home Office position change, we will restart those submissions. Our support to victims continues, regardless of where they live.” — Met police spokesperson

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