At least five women abused by Mohamed Al Fayed have been formally recognised by the UK Home Office as victims of human trafficking, receiving conclusive grounds decisions through the National Referral Mechanism.
The cases span from the 1990s to after Harrods' 2010 sale, with survivors recruited into false roles, selected from the shop floor for abuse, or placed as domestic workers. All four members of the survivor advocacy group No One Above — Justine, Elizabeth, Margo and Isabella — have received positive decisions, as has Rachel Louw, who was subjected to sexual exploitation in the UK and France over three years.
More than 400 allegations of sexual misconduct have been made against Al Fayed between 1977 and 2014. The Metropolitan Police's Operation Cornpoppy has interviewed four people under caution over offences including human trafficking and facilitating rape, with at least 154 victims reporting allegations to investigators.