The Metropolitan Police has mistakenly disclosed the email addresses of 143 individuals who allege they were victims of sexual abuse by the late Harrods tycoon Mohamed Al Fayed. The breach occurred when officers included the email addresses in the distribution list of five separate emails sent on Tuesday.
These emails were intended to update recipients on the force's investigation into individuals suspected of facilitating Al Fayed's alleged abuse. The blunder meant that the email addresses of 143 victims, many of whom wished to remain anonymous, were visible to other recipients on the list. A total of 159 people were included in the correspondence.
Scotland Yard has issued an apology for the incident, which it attributed to "human error." The force has referred itself to the Information Commissioner's Office and is reviewing its internal processes to prevent similar breaches.
The emails also revealed that three more suspects—one in their 70s and two in their 80s—had recently been interviewed under caution. This brings the total number of individuals interviewed under caution in connection with the investigation to seven. The Met stated that all affected individuals were contacted directly on the day of the incident.
This is not the first time the Metropolitan Police has inadvertently disclosed sensitive information concerning alleged victims of Al Fayed. Earlier this year, Joanna Brittan discovered that the force had mistakenly sent her personal details, including handwritten notes about her statement, address, phone number, and date of birth, to another alleged victim living in Australia. Ms. Brittan had previously given a statement to Devon & Cornwall Police in 2017, which was later transferred to the Met.
Mohamed Al Fayed, who died in August 2023 at the age of 94, has faced accusations of abusing approximately 400 women and girls between the late 1970s and early 2000s. Many of these alleged victims were reportedly young employees at his businesses, including Harrods.
Records indicate that the Metropolitan Police was aware of sexual abuse allegations against the Egyptian businessman at least a decade earlier than initially stated. While Scotland Yard initially reported being approached by 21 women with complaints dating back to 2005, the family of Samantha-Jane Ramsay stated she had contacted the Met about her experiences in 1995. Ms. Ramsay, who died in 2007, alleged that officers told her at the time that nothing could be done and her complaint would be added to a list of other female names.
Ms. Ramsay had described being targeted by Al Fayed shortly after starting work at Harrods. She recounted being summoned to his office, where he allegedly offered her a pay raise and a new role before sexually touching her without consent. She stated she was terrified and was subsequently fired.
In related financial news, Harrods has returned to profitability after setting aside £62.5 million to compensate victims of its former owner. For the year ending January 31, 2025, the company reported a net loss of £34.3 million, largely due to these compensation payments. However, in the subsequent 12 months, ending January 2026, Harrods reported a pre-tax profit of £84.9 million. Harrods has confirmed that compensation has been paid to over 100 survivors.