To: The Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP, Home Secretary
Dear Home Secretary,
Re: Call for a Public Inquiry into the Mohamed Al Fayed Scandal
We write to support calls for a public inquiry into the Mohamed Al Fayed scandal and how he was allowed to rape, sexually assault and harass an estimated 111 women over nearly four decades.
We are appalled that his crimes were not formally pursued during his lifetime, despite twenty-one victim-survivors making formal complaints to the Metropolitan Police. That professional standards are now investigating the possibility of police misconduct in this case is devastating to the already fragile trust that women and girls hold in the police service in responding to sexual violence. The failure of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to charge, when they were aware of at least six women’s allegations, must also come under public scrutiny alongside police failings. We are also concerned that Al Fayed’s wealth and status allowed him to silence the media and others that knew about his predatory behaviour and that there are insufficient safeguards within our public institutions to prevent this from happening again in the future.
We urge you to convene a public inquiry to investigate the following:
- The handling of allegations by institutions: Who knew about Al Fayed’s abusive behaviours? What were the systematic failings that led to the silencing of victims who disclosed abuse and why was he not held to account? Did institutions place undue focus on victim credibility in their assessment of allegations?
- The impact of a perpetrator’s celebrity and wealth on women’s access to justice: What role did misconduct play in Al Fayed’s offending? Was Al Fayed able to use the threat of legal action to silence those who knew about his offending? What other fears or concerns did criminal justice agencies, media outlets, business or other organisations have about pursuing and sharing women’s allegations? Does a perpetrator’s celebrity or wealth impact on women’s access to justice?
- Institutional accountability: Why were the lessons of other high-profile cases not learnt and implemented? What safeguards or recourse can women rely on in the future to ensure a serial high-profile rapist cannot abuse with impunity?
The courage displayed by the survivors of Mohamed Al Fayed should not be in vain. An inquiry is vital to show that no individual should be above the law, that institutions can no longer repeat the failings of the past and that the government is committed to its pledge of halving violence against women and girls, regardless of who the perpetrator may be.
We hope for an urgent answer to these concerns and for tangible action to restore faith in the institutional response to high-profile sexual offenders in England and Wales.
Yours sincerely,
Right to Equality