Home Office confirms five Al Fayed survivors as modern slavery victims

Five survivors of abuse linked to the late Mohamed Al Fayed have been formally recognised as victims of modern slavery by the Home Office. The decisions, issued through the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), confirm trafficking in multiple settings, including Harrods, domestic work for the Fayed family, and other businesses under Al Fayed’s control.

The Home Office’s Single Competent Authority, which assesses NRM referrals, issued conclusive grounds decisions for all five survivors. The cases date from the 1990s to after the 2010 sale of Harrods. The charity Unseen UK made the referrals to the NRM, which is the UK’s official framework for identifying victims of modern slavery.

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Trafficking across multiple sites

The survivors’ experiences vary. One was recruited for a false role within Harrods, while two were hired for legitimate positions before being targeted for abuse. Another was employed as a domestic worker for the Fayed family after being recruited through Hyde Park Residence, a letting agency. A fifth worked in the chairman’s office at Harrods in 2001.

Margo, who worked as a domestic worker for the Fayed family after Harrods was sold, told the *Evening Standard* that Al Fayed’s trafficking network extended far beyond the department store. She described abuse occurring at Balnagown, Saint-Tropez, Fayair, Fulham Football Club, and other properties. "Everywhere he went he had enablers," she said.

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“This was Balnagown, it was Saint-Tropez, it was Fayair, it was Fulham Football Club, it was Hyde Park Residence. Everywhere he went he had enablers, and everywhere he went he had the capacity to abuse.”

Margo, survivor

Isabella, who worked in Harrods’ chairman’s office, told the *Evening Standard* that the abuse was not limited to one individual. "He couldn’t have done what he did without Harrods processing women to him and silencing them afterwards," she said. She added that the network included Al Fayed’s yachts, aviation business, the Ritz Paris, and properties in France, Monaco, the US and the UAE.

Survivors describe shock and relief

Justine, who worked at Harrods in the 1990s, received her conclusive grounds decision in June. She told the *Evening Standard* that she felt "shell shocked" when she learned she had been recognised as a victim of modern slavery. "It’s not something I realised was happening to me at the time," she said. "Seeing it in writing that you were a victim of modern slavery and trafficking is very... it’s really shocking to read."

Elizabeth, another Harrods employee, received her decision in May. She told the *Evening Standard* that all survivors in the Al Fayed case were victims of trafficking because it was "all one system" that recruited, exploited and silenced them. She criticised a misunderstanding that trafficking only involves crossing international borders, noting that some cases occurred entirely within the Harrods building.

What happens next

The conclusive grounds decisions entitle the survivors to support under the NRM, including access to housing, legal advice and counselling. The Home Office has not disclosed whether further investigations or prosecutions will follow. Survivors have indicated that more victims may come forward, particularly those who did not work at Harrods and may not have realised their experiences qualified as trafficking.

The Metropolitan Police have not commented on whether the decisions will prompt a review of previous investigations. Over 400 allegations of sexual misconduct against Al Fayed, dating from 1977 to 2014, have been recorded, including sexual assault, rape, sexual exploitation and human trafficking.