French police launch investigation into Al Fayed sex-trafficking allegations

French police have launched an investigation into sex-trafficking linked to the disgraced businessman Mohamed Al Fayed, who died two years ago.

The police investigation, ordered by the Paris prosecutor’s office, will focus on “potential acts of aggravated human trafficking… with multiple victims,” according to correspondence seen by the BBC. Prostitution and one case of rape are also being investigated.

Al Fayed’s Ritz Hotel in Paris will likely be a target of the investigation, amid claims from victims that staff knew about or facilitated the abuse of women.

In a statement, the Ritz said it was “deeply alarmed” by the allegations of abuse and it would cooperate “fully” with authorities.

The trafficking investigation marks a new twist in a series of legal battles linked to Al Fayed’s violent crimes and to the search – both before and since his death – for some sort of justice for his many victims.

An American woman, Pelham Spong, 40, played a key role in triggering this investigation in France, where it is alleged that Al Fayed moved young female staff from the Ritz to his private house in Paris and to various yachts and family homes on the Mediterranean coast.

Ms Spong was living in Paris in 2008 when she applied for a job working as a personal assistant for the Al Fayed family in Monaco.

She was brought to London several times, subjected to an intrusive gynaecological examination, and then – she alleges – sexually assaulted by Al Fayed in his office on Park Lane.

“He told me the job entailed sleeping with him,” Ms Spong said, adding that she declined the offer on the spot.

“I didn’t realise I was a victim of sex trafficking until this past year when I… saw the scale and scope of the abuse and realised that it was a pattern and a system and a machine,” she told the BBC in an interview in Paris.

A few months ago, Ms Spong, now living back in the USA, came to Paris to report her experiences to the French police, hoping that it might persuade other women to come forward with evidence of their own abuse.

“It’s a big step that the prosecutors decided to open an investigation. [Ms Spong] has a really good case because she kept a lot of materials. It will be very strong,” her lawyer, Anne-Claire Le Jeune told the BBC.

Ms Spong said it is “so much easier to dismiss the actions of an evil man that’s dead”.

“And you can’t learn anything from that as a society. So how do you prevent this happening again?

“Well, first, you have to name what it… It’s critical to call it what it is, trafficking, so that we can prevent it,” she said.

Al Fayed is also being investigated in the UK, where more than 140 people have reported him to the Met Police.

The extent of Al Fayed’s predatory behaviour was first brought to light by a BBC documentary and podcast, broadcast in September 2024.

Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods heard testimony from more than 20 female ex-Harrods employees who said Al Fayed sexually assaulted or raped them. Since then, dozens more women have come forward with similar experiences.

After the broadcast, the Met revealed it had been approached by 21 women before Al Fayed’s death, who accused him of sexual offences including rape, sexual assault and trafficking. Despite this, he was never charged with any offences.

Ms Spong herself says she spoke to British police about Al Fayed in 2017 but was told he was too ill to be questioned.

Earlier this year, the Met wrote to alleged victims apologising, saying it was “truly sorry” for the distress they have suffered because Al Fayed will never face justice.

The force is currently investigating its handling of historical allegations against Al Fayed and looking into whether others could face charges for enabling his behaviour.

Harrods has set aside more than £60m in its plan to compensate alleged victims of Al Fayed’s abuse.

In a statement announcing the scheme, Harrods said: “While we cannot undo the past, we have been determined to do the right thing as an organisation, driven by the values we hold today, while ensuring that such behaviour can never be repeated in the future.”