Starmer criticized for not bringing charges against Fayed as chief prosecutor

Sir Keir Starmer has come under criticism for not bringing charges of sexual assault against Mohamed Fayed during his time as chief prosecutor.

In 2008, Fayed, then owner of Harrods, was questioned by the Metropolitan Police after a 15-year-old girl told investigators that he had sexually abused her in the London department store.

In February 2009, when Sir Keir was Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced that no charges would be brought because there was “no realistic prospect of conviction”.

Downing Street claims Sir Keir, who left his job at the CPS in 2013, was not involved in the decision. But the Conservatives said it was “another case of failure” by the organisation under his leadership, after it also failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile.

Five women have now claimed to have been raped by Fayed and another 20 said he sexually abused them.

Matt Vickers, Shadow Secretary of State for Crime and Policing, said: “Keir Starmer is always happy to take credit for the work of others at the CPS, but when something went wrong on his watch it was always someone else’s fault.

“There was a chance to prosecute Fayed while Starmer was DPP but it was not acted upon. These latest revelations show that this was another case of failure.”

Sir Keir said that when he was DPP he was “personally concerned” about any case that could have a reputational impact on the CPS, which “may be because it is a particularly sensitive case”.

He has denied in the past that he was informed when a CPS investigator decided to drop a case against Savile when he was DPP.

A Downing Street spokesman said: “Keir was not responsible for this case. It did not cross his desk.”

Fayed died last year at the age of 94 without ever being prosecuted, although several women filed complaints with the police.

When the teenager went to the police in 2008 and said that Fayed had groped and kissed her against her will, Fayed was already known to have sexually harassed his staff.

In a 1998 biography by Tom Bower, former employees described how Fayed groped them at work and harassed them for sex in his homes in London and Paris.

The teenager, now in her 30s, told the BBC that she started working as a shop assistant at Harrods in 2007 at the age of 14 and initially saw him as a father figure, but then he started calling her on her personal mobile and hugging her in the store.

She said that in May 2008 she was asked to go to the boardroom at Harrods and was allegedly attacked.

She said: 'He started hugging me, getting emotional and rubbing himself against me, and he just grabbed my face and tried to put his tongue in my mouth.

“I mentioned I was 15 and said, 'What are you doing?' and he said I was turning into a beautiful woman and grabbed my breast.

“I pushed him away and he saw that I was freaking out and scared and he flew into a rage and started shouting at me.” She reported the incident to police that same month after telling her parents what had happened, and Fayed was questioned later that year.

The case was handled by Rene Barclay, then head of the CPS's complex cases unit, whose remit included dealing with cases considered “high-profile”. In 2009, he announced that no charges would be brought.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said on Thursday: “In May 2008, police received a report of sexual assault which allegedly occurred in London.

“The report was thoroughly investigated, including examining video surveillance footage, interviewing possible witnesses and analyzing phone records.

“The case was subsequently referred to the CPS for review, who concluded that no further action should be taken.”

The alleged victim told the BBC that she was told that no charges had been brought because, among other things, she had given the wrong day of the week in her description of the attack.

The CPS said the teenager's complaint was the only time police had given it a file on Fayed.

In 2018, 2021 and 2023, after Sir Keir left the CPS, it provided “early investigative advice” to the Met after complaints were received about Fayed, but “in none of these cases was a full file of evidence provided”.

Another woman contacted police in 2013 and again in 2015, but the CPS said it had no involvement in that case.

In the BBC documentary “Al-Fayed: Predator at Harrods,” women who worked at the department store between the 1980s and 2000s said attacks occurred in the company's offices, in Fayed's Park Lane apartment, and on trips abroad.

The broadcaster said Harrods not only failed to intervene but also helped cover up the allegations against Fayed.

“Totally appalled”

The current owners of Harrods said they were “deeply appalled” by the allegations and stressed that the company is “very different” today.

Bruce Drummond, a lawyer on a legal team representing several of the women, said: “The web of corruption and abuse in this company was unbelievable and very dark.”

Commander Kevin Southworth, who is responsible for public protection at the Met, said: “We are aware of a number of allegations of sexual assault made over a number of years in connection with the late Mohammed Al-Fayed that have been reported to the Met.

“Each individual case was investigated and, where appropriate, the advice of the Public Prosecutor was sought. No charges resulted from these investigations.”

“As with any investigation, any further information that comes to light will be evaluated and investigated accordingly.”

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