Home Office confirms at least five Mohamed Al Fayed survivors as victims of human trafficking

Recognition as modern slavery victims

The Home Office has issued positive "conclusive grounds" decisions for at least five women, formally recognising them as victims of modern slavery under the National Referral Mechanism. The first, Rachel Louw, was reported in April 2026. Since then, all four members of the survivor group No One Above (Justine, Elizabeth, Margo and Isabella) have received the same status, with more expected. The decisions cover both international trafficking and cases where the trafficking occurred entirely within Harrods.

Patterns of trafficking and abuse

One survivor was recruited to a false role at the department store, while two others were hired legitimately and then selected for abuse off the shop floor. A fourth worked as a domestic employee for the Fayed family after being recruited through a letting agency, Hyde Park Residence. The cases span from the 1990s to after the 2010 sale of Harrods. All five were referred to the NRM by the anti-slavery charity Unseen UK.

It's not something I realised was happening to me at the time, so it's all part of this journey that we're on now in reliving this experience, and actually really understanding what happened to us, which is very difficult.

Police investigation and wider allegations

The Metropolitan Police's Operation Cornpoppy is examining who may have facilitated Fayed's crimes. Four people have been questioned, 21 months after the investigation opened. More than 400 allegations of sexual misconduct have been made against Fayed for the period 1977–2014, including rape, sexual assault, human trafficking, false imprisonment, drugging, physical violence and forced abortions. Fayed died in 2023 aged 94 without facing charges.

He couldn't have done what he did without Harrods processing women to him and silencing them afterwards. It wasn't just Harrods, obviously. It was any entity that Fayed owned or had control of. It was his yachts, his aviation business, the Ritz Paris, his properties all over France and Monaco. It went as far as the States and the UAE - anywhere that man touched.

Survivor reactions

Justine described feeling "shell-shocked" when she received her decision in June. Another survivor told PA Media that seeing the recognition in writing was "really shocking to read". Legal experts say the NRM decisions can strengthen witness credibility in criminal proceedings and may influence how police investigate.