The Metropolitan Police has apologized for a significant data breach that inadvertently exposed 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 mistakenly included the recipients' email addresses in the visible 'To' field of five separate emails sent on Tuesday.
These emails were intended to update victims on the ongoing investigation into people suspected of facilitating Al Fayed's alleged abuse. In total, 159 people were included in the correspondence, and the error meant that many victims, who had sought anonymity, had their details exposed.
Scotland Yard has referred the incident to the Information Commissioner's Office and attributed the blunder to "human error." The force stated that the issue was identified and addressed immediately, and all affected individuals were contacted directly on the day of the incident. A review of the Met's processes is underway to prevent similar occurrences.
This is not the first time the Metropolitan Police has faced criticism regarding the handling of sensitive information related to Al Fayed's alleged victims. Earlier this year, an individual named Joanna Brittan discovered that her statement, including personal details, had been mistakenly sent to another alleged victim in Australia.
Mohamed Al Fayed, who died in August 2023 at the age of 94, has been accused of abusing around 400 women and girls between the late 1970s and early 2000s. Many of these alleged victims were young employees at his businesses. There are also reports indicating that the Met was aware of sexual abuse allegations against Al Fayed at least a decade earlier than initially admitted, with one woman stating she reported her ordeal to the police in 1995 at the age of 17.
Despite the controversies, Harrods, the department store formerly owned by Al Fayed, has recently returned to profitability. The company had set aside £62.5 million to compensate victims of its former owner, which contributed to a net loss in the previous financial year. Harrods has confirmed that compensation has already been paid to over 100 survivors.