A woman alleging victimization by Mohammed Al Fayed expressed concern that police mistakenly shared her details with an individual in Australia. Joanna Brittan, hailing from Devon, claimed she was trafficked by the former Harrods owner and sexually assaulted by his associate. In 2017, she provided a statement to Devon & Cornwall police outlining her trafficking and assault allegations against Al Fayed and the other individual. However, her personal information, including her account, date of birth, address, and contact number, was inadvertently sent to a person in Australia who also claimed to be a victim of Al Fayed.
Following the transfer of her account to the Metropolitan Police due to jurisdictional reasons, it was then mistakenly forwarded to the other victim. Ms. Brittan criticized the Met Police for their handling of the situation, labeling them as “shambolic, incompetent, and complicit.” The error occurred after she requested her original account back from the police, as per her legal team’s instructions.
The breach of data was attributed to human error and was promptly reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office. Additionally, Ms. Brittan received a one-time payment from the police as a gesture of goodwill. Her initial statement from 2017 led to a rape allegation against Al Fayed’s associate, Ahmed Obaidly, a former UAE diplomat. Despite providing further information in a video interview with the authorities in 2020, Ms. Brittan was informed that the rape investigation would not proceed due to Obaidly’s death in 2015.
Jasvinder Sanghera, an Independent Survivor Advocate affiliated with Harrods, strongly criticized the decision, calling it “appalling.” She emphasized the lack of confidence in the existing survivor support processes. The Metropolitan Police assured ongoing investigations into individuals associated with Al Fayed’s potential offenses and emphasized their enhanced approach to handling rape and sexual offense cases.
The Met reiterated its commitment to supporting all victims and encouraged anyone with relevant information or experiences concerning Al Fayed to come forward. Ms. Brittan’s case is under review by the National Referral Mechanism as a potential victim of modern slavery. She expressed relief and optimism about the opportunity to shed unwarranted shame associated with her situation.
Notably, Ms. Brittan is among approximately 200 potential victims linked to Al Fayed. These potential survivors are scheduled to virtually meet with Sir Keir Starmer for a discussion. Meanwhile, a Met Police detective and four former officers are under investigation for their handling of allegations against Al Fayed, suspected of potential misconduct in managing reports from victims.
The Directorate of Professional Standards at the Met, overseen by the IOPC, confirmed an investigation into the officers in January 2025. Al Fayed, who passed away in 2023 at the age of 94, was never formally charged with any crimes. The Mirror has sought comments from the Met Police regarding these developments.
