UK prosecutors twice received Al-Fayed sex abuse evidence

Britain's criminal prosecution body said Sunday it had twice received evidence against the now-disgraced ex-Harrods boss Mohamed Al-Fayed, accused by multiple women of sexual assault and rape, but had not brought charges.

Numerous women previously employed at the high-class London department store accused Fayed of sexual assault in a BBC documentary released on Thursday, including five alleging rape.

Thirty-seven women are being represented by a legal team bringing claims against Harrods, accusing it of enabling the "systematic" abuse of young women and girls over 25 years.

Lawyers said they had received over 150 new enquiries since the BBC investigation.

A Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) spokesperson on Sunday referred to two prior instances when the Egyptian billionaire, who died last year, was accused of sexual offences.

"We reviewed files of evidence presented by the police in 2009 and 2015", said the spokesperson, who asked not to be named.

In 2008, Fayed was accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl and CPS reviewed evidence in 2009. In 2013, he was accused of raping a woman, a claim investigated in 2015.

In both instances, the CPS said there was no "realistic prospect of conviction" and did not bring charges.

"To bring a prosecution the CPS must be confident there is a realistic prospect of conviction - in each instance, our prosecutors looked carefully at the evidence and concluded this wasn't the case," the spokesperson said.

The CPS said it also provided London's Metropolitan Police with early investigative advice over allegations against Fayed three times between 2018 and 2023.

The Met was "aware of various allegations of sexual offences made over a number of years" related to Fayed, the force's public protection lead Kevin Southworth said on Friday, adding that it would investigate if "further information comes to light".

Harrods, which was sold by Fayed in 2010, said it was "utterly apalled" by the allegations.