The Metropolitan Police have submitted a full evidential file to the Crown Prosecution Service as part of the Mohamed Al Fayed CPS file process, relating to a man in his 80s suspected of indecent assault against two women in London.
The file covers two allegations of indecent assault and will now be assessed by CPS prosecutors, who will determine whether a charge can be brought. A Met Police spokesperson confirmed that ‘detectives submitted a full evidential file’ to the CPS for a ‘charging decision’.
Suspects interviewed under caution in Mohamed Al Fayed investigation
A man and a woman, both in their 80s, were interviewed under caution last month on suspicion of aiding and abetting rape and sexual assault, and assisting the commission of sexual offences. The file submitted to the CPS relates to one of those two individuals, the man in his 80s.
Earlier this year, three women aged in their 40s, 50s and 60s, and one man in his 60s, were also questioned. In total, seven suspects have been interviewed under caution in connection with offences including aiding and abetting rape and sexual assault, assisting in the commission of sexual offences, and human trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation, according to the Metropolitan Police.
Officers said they will continue to work closely with CPS prosecutors as the case progresses.
Mohamed Al Fayed CPS file marks step forward, say survivors’ group
The former Harrods owner died three years ago aged 94, having never faced any charges. The Metropolitan Police investigation has since gathered pace, with multiple suspects now having been questioned.
The co-chairs of the Justice for Fayed and Harrods Survivors group, Jen Mills and Lindsay Mason, welcomed the development. In a statement, they said: ‘The submission of a full evidential file to the CPS is a significant step, and it matters most of all for the two women whose allegations are at the centre of it.’
Mills and Mason added: ‘Both are members of Justice for Fayed and Harrods Survivors and, as with all those impacted by this scandal, we stand alongside them with love and empathy.’
The Metropolitan Police spokesperson said the two indecent assaults cited in the file are alleged to have taken place in London. The CPS will now decide whether charges can be brought against the man in his 80s, with no timescale for that decision currently stated.
The investigation into Al Fayed and those around him has grown steadily since it was launched. Seven people have now been questioned under caution, spanning a range of ages and covering multiple categories of alleged offences. The submission of an evidential file is a formal stage in the process, moving the case from police investigation toward a prosecutorial decision.
The Met said officers would continue to work alongside CPS lawyers as the file is assessed.
