George M HornThe Metropolitan Police has written to the alleged victims of late businessman Mohammad Al Fayed that they apologize for the crisis that he is suffering because he will never face justice.
And in an unusual step, the Scotland Yard planned to send a video statement to women later this week to provide an update on its ongoing investigation.
Force has promised to answer questions about investigation What has it called 40 allegationsWith rape and sexual assault.
They belong to the former Harrods Boss – who died in 2023, at the age of 94 – as well as others who may have enabled their misuse.
In the letter, the Chief Superintendent of Detective, Angela Crags, who now leads the investigation, stated that he “fully know the matter that the matter is particularly upset for all those who are suffering”.
“At least due to the fact that the main suspect will never face justice for his crimes, and I really regret it,” he wrote.
but some Al -file accused It is suggested that the mate needs to be more.
Speaking on behalf of a group of people, Paleham Spong, who says that he was sexually harassed by Al Fayed in the 20s, questioned whether Met is giving the matter “Gravitas and Meditation”.
He said that the BBC had “barely” trusted “a large amount of trust” in a police investigation “.
Some 21 women accused the tycoon between 2005 and 2023, but were never accused. A focus of Met’s investigation is assessing whether anyone has still enabled his activities, but there is no allegation.
RootsThe Scotland Yard on Friday planned to send a video statement to the alleged victims, which can provide the first adequate update about the investigation as Mate asked potential victims or the remaining people to come forward in the last September.
Met decided against anonymity concerns about oblivion and the ability to harm women for any future testing to update women due to a meeting, online or catching in-traditions to update women.
In the letter of DCS Crags, the investigation described the probe “allegations against Al Fayed have been carried out as a large -scale inquiry and which may be involved in their insult”, run by a complex investigation team in Mate.
He wrote: “Some of you may have heard, and perhaps the previous investigation has experienced dissatisfaction in the last investigation in Al Faid and so we can be very confident.”
To find out that he has asked questions from the alleged victims, which will be answered in Friday’s video statement.
Ms. Spong, who lives in the US state of South Carolina and reported a 2008 encounter with Al Fayed in 2017, said: “My fear is that most of our questions will remain unanswered, and we will only be given unclear promises of changes and accountability with real action.
“It is difficult to know what to do and it is difficult to have a large amount of faith in this process when the police have ignored so many victims for several decades.”
In 2017, the detectives investigated some claims against Al Fayed, while he was still alive “was unable to receive an account from the suspect due to poor health condition”, An email He sent Ms. Spong. The case later closed.
Ms. Spong has complained to an independent office for police conduct, police complained to the Watchdog for England and Wales that Met Al Fayed’s lawyers failed to challenge the response.
Met investigation has increased rapidly BBC broadcast the documentary “hunter in Harrows” In September 2024, which brought wide claims against him into the open. Tycoon has heirds between 1985 and 2010.
The force has refused to put a deadline on its investigation. In February, Commissioner Sir Mark Rowle said it was a live investigation, and he was not going to give a running commentary.
Separate civil case Hundreds of women continue to include.
A spokesperson of the Met Police said, “also will continue to contact video briefing, one-to-one contact between the officers and the alleged victims.
The statement said, “We continue to support all the victims and we urge anyone with information, whether they are directly influenced by the actions of Mohammad Al Fayed or knowing about others, who may join, or have committed crimes to come forward.”
“We can’t comment further at this time, but as we are capable and where it will not endanger or other action will provide an update.”
