Met Police submit evidence file on Al Fayed suspect to CPS for charging decision

Detectives have sent a file on a man in his 80s, accused of two indecent assaults in London, to the Crown Prosecution Service. Seven suspects have so far been interviewed under caution.

Evidence file on Al Fayed suspect referred to Crown Prosecution Service

The Metropolitan Police have submitted a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) relating to one suspect in the investigation into sexual assault allegations against the late Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed, The Independent reports.

The suspect is a man in his 80s. The file concerns two indecent assaults on two women in London. The CPS will now determine whether charges should be brought, though it has given no timeframe for a decision.

The Met notified survivor groups by email on Monday. "Met Police detectives have today submitted a full evidential file to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for a charging decision," the force said. "Officers will continue to work closely with CPS prosecutors as the case progresses."

The email also confirmed that seven suspects have been interviewed under caution to date — four women in their 40s, 50s, 60s and 80s, and three men in their 60s, 70s and 80s. Suspected offences include aiding and abetting rape and sexual assault, assisting in the commission of sexual offences, and human trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation.

The Metropolitan Police said it was dealing with at least 156 alleged victims who contacted them directly, including 21 who had come forward before Al Fayed's death in 2023 at the age of 94. He died without facing any charges.

More than 400 allegations of sexual misconduct have been made against Fayed, spanning events between 1977 and 2014. The allegations include sexual assault, rape, sexual exploitation and human trafficking.

The investigation, known as Operation Cornpoppy, was launched in November 2024 and focuses on individuals who may have facilitated or enabled Al Fayed's alleged crimes.

The survivor group No One Above called on the force to go further. "We call on the Met to confirm it is securing evidence on all perpetrators and co-conspirators — including the financial and documentary evidence of how victims were recruited, screened, moved, harboured and silenced," a spokesman said.

Al Fayed sold Harrods in 2010. The Met described the inquiry as "a complex and highly sensitive investigation", adding that its focus remains on "pursuing all available lines of enquiry" and "supporting those who have come forward".

Source: The Independent