Two complaints from victims about the Met police’s handling of allegations against Mohamed Al Fayed in 2008 will be investigated by the force’s directorate of professional standards to establish whether there were “any missed opportunities or failures”, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said.
The investigation would be carried out under the direction of the IOPC, the watchdog said.
IOPC director of operations, Steve Noonan, said: “Our sympathies are with all the victim-survivors who reported allegations against Mr Al Fayed.
“There is widespread public concern around this case, with a significant number of allegations reported over many years while Mr Al Fayed was still alive.
“It’s important that an investigation is carried out into these complaints to identify if there were any missed opportunities or failures by officers to properly investigate these reports made back in 2008.
“We’ve decided to direct these investigations as the Met’s ongoing review of 21 allegations means it could become much wider than two complaints, and also it will help information sharing between DPS and the ongoing criminal investigation into those who potentially enabled or assisted the alleged offending.
“The complainants will be kept regularly updated throughout the investigation.”
