British police have identified 90 women in the Al Fayed sexual assault case

London’s Metropolitan Police confirmed on Wednesday that it had launched a new investigation into sexual assault allegations against deceased Harrods owner Mohamed Al-Fayed, which has so far identified 90 victims.

The ruling came after a BBC documentary aired in September that detailed several allegations of rape and sexual assault against the Egyptian billionaire businessman, who died last August at the age of 94.

Since then, over 400 women and witnesses have participated file a lawsuit against him, accusing him of sexual harassmentwhich provided a look at how London Police dealt with complaints dating back decades.

The Met said that following a renewed public appeal, “numerous victims, some reporting multiple crimes”, had come forward. The special unit “will review all reports and conduct all reasonable investigations,” she added.

The services had previously announced that they had identified 60 potential victims.

Detectives are currently interviewing “several individuals associated with” Al-Fayed and “working to determine what role these individuals may have played in assisting and facilitating” any crimes, he added.

Detectives are also reviewing all previous investigations to identify any “missed opportunities”, the Met said, noting that investigative techniques and practices “have made significant progress over the last 20 years”.

According to the force, they have already reviewed more than 50,000 pages of evidence, including victim statements and impact statements.

“This investigation aims to give survivors a voice despite the fact that Mohamed Al-Fayed is no longer alive and unable to face indictmentCommander Stephen Clayman of the Met’s Specialist Crime Command said.

“However, we are now pursuing anyone suspected of complicity in his crime and are committed to seeking justice.”

Clayman acknowledged that “past events may have impacted public confidence in our approach.”

But he said the armed forces were “determined to rebuild that trust by addressing these allegations honestly and thoroughly.”

Earlier this month, the Met approached the UK’s police watchdog following complaints from two women about its handling of investigations into Al-Fayed’s alleged offending sexual abuse.

In recent weeks, accusations have also surfaced against his brother Salah Fayed, who died in 2010, during the period when he was co-owner of Harrods.

Meanwhile, this month, The New York Times published testimony from a victim accusing another brother, 80-year-old Ali, of knowing about the “trafficking” of women.

(AFP)