The Metropolitan Police has been sharply criticized for failing in its legal obligations to protect victims of human trafficking who were exploited by the late Harrods owner, Mohamed Al Fayed. This failure comes to light as it has been revealed that at least five of his numerous accusers have been formally recognized by the Home Office as victims of modern slavery. These survivors were not identified through the diligent work of the police, but rather through their own determined efforts, after the force failed to offer them the official protections they were entitled to under UK law. The survivors’ stories paint a grim picture of a systemic breakdown in the very system designed to support them, adding a layer of institutional failure to the immense personal trauma they have already endured at the hands of a powerful and predatory figure.
The core of the issue lies in the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), the UK’s official framework designed to identify and support victims of modern slavery. This system acts as a vital gateway, providing victims with the necessary support and crucially, giving the government data to understand the scale of the problem in the country. The law is clear: statutory first responders, which include the police, are legally obligated to refer any child or consenting adult to the NRM if they have reasonable grounds to believe the individual may be a victim of modern slavery. This is not a discretionary act of goodwill; it is a firm legal duty. However, four survivors, all of whom have since been officially confirmed as victims, have stated that the Metropolitan Police failed to offer them this referral when they courageously came forward with their accounts of abuse by Al Fayed. Instead, they were left to navigate the complex and daunting process themselves, ultimately having to self-initiate their referrals through the NGO Unseen. This revelation indicates that the force may have systematically failed to offer this crucial lifeline to any victim who came forward about Al Fayed, leaving them without the professional support and legal recognition they desperately needed.
The Met has defended its position by suggesting there is no automatic requirement to submit a referral for offences that occurred before the NRM was established in April 2009 and the subsequent Modern Slavery Act of 2015. They have stated that while referrals can be submitted for these historical cases, they are not legally bound to do so. However, this interpretation of the law has been categorically rejected by the Home Office, which has confirmed that the historical nature of the offence is completely irrelevant when it comes to the legal duty to refer a victim. The only circumstance that negates the duty is if the offence was reported to the police before those specific dates. Al Fayed faced more than 400 allegations of sexual misconduct, spanning from 1977 to 2014, and the Met is investigating at least 156 victims who have directly contacted them. The fact that the police are now claiming legal ambiguity over their responsibilities, while investigating hundreds of potential victims, suggests a culture of defensiveness rather than a victim-centred approach to justice.
The personal stories of the survivors highlight the profound human cost of this institutional failure. For example, Rachel Louw, who was confirmed as a victim of modern slavery in April 2026, has spoken about how the abuse she suffered at the hands of Al Fayed and his brother Salah has affected her life. She has stated that she would not have been able to endure the stressful NRM process without the support of an advocacy group for survivors called No One Above, which worked with Unseen to make her referral on her behalf. Another survivor, using the pseudonym Margo, was a domestic worker for the Al Fayed family after the 2010 sale of Harrods. She reported her horrific experiences to the police in 2024 but was never offered a referral at the time. Margo has described the police’s overall handling of the investigation as “reactive as opposed to proactive,” a damning indictment of a process that should be proactive in its duty of care. These women, already victims of horrific exploitation, were forced to fight not only for justice but also for the basic recognition and support that the state was legally mandated to provide.
This criticism has been echoed by experts in the field. Phil Brewer, the former head of the Met’s own anti-trafficking unit, has stated that he is unaware of any guidance or policy that supports the force’s current legal position. He has openly stated that their interpretation is “not right” and that there is no caveat regarding the legislation being in place at the time of the crime. Furthermore, he argued that even if there was no strict legal obligation, the Met should have been referring these victims to the NRM anyway as a matter of good practice and fundamental duty of care. The Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Eleanor Lyons, has also weighed in, emphasizing that victims have endured horrific exploitation and that everything must be done to provide them with protections and hold perpetrators to account. The silence and inaction of the police, in this case, stand in stark contrast to these principles.
The Metropolitan Police is currently conducting a massive investigation into Al Fayed’s crimes, known as Operation Cornpoppy, which was launched in November 2024. This investigation is looking not only at the crimes of Al Fayed himself, who died in 2023, but also at anyone who may have facilitated or enabled his abuse. Seven people have already been questioned under caution as part of this operation. The investigation team has acknowledged the issue, with the gold commander, Andy Day, stating in a letter that work continues regarding potential NRM referrals and encouraging victims to make contact. While this may indicate a shift in approach, it cannot undo the years of added suffering and insecurity experienced by those who were denied their legal rights. The entire saga represents a deep betrayal of trust, where those who had already been failed by their abuser were then failed again by the very institution meant to protect them, leaving a permanent scar on the pursuit of justice for Al Fayed’s many victims.
