The Metropolitan Police investigators into Mohamed Al-Fayed have been slammed for “failing in their legal duty” by survivors.
Survivors said the force failed to identify them as victims of modern slavery and point them to the national referral mechanism (NRM).
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The NRM is the UK’s official framework for identifying victims of modern slavery, and certain public bodies, including the police, have a legal obligation to refer all children and consenting adults they have reasonable grounds to believe may be a victim.
Instead, four survivors of the billionaire Harrods owner self-referred through an anti-slavery charity called Unseen.
The four are members of No One Above, an advocacy group for survivors of Al Fayed, and have been recognised by the Home Office as victims of modern slavery.
All four received their positive conclusive grounds decisions in recent months.
The Met believes there is no automatic requirement for them to submit a referral for offences that occurred before the implementation of the NRM in April 2009 and the Modern Slavery Act 2015, it is understood.
The Home Office, however, views the historical nature of the alleged exploitation as irrelevant for referral purposes.
The claims against the Met follows revelations the force accidentally leaked the emails of more than 140 people who reported being victims of the billionaire Harrods owner.
The force has since apologised for the data breach, describing it as a “human error”.
A Home Office spokesman said the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating the Met’s handling of Al Fayed allegations and the force has made a referral to the Information Commissioner’s Office, and that the Government “must let these investigations run their course”.
No One Above said in a statement: “The investigation has inflicted two egregious data breaches on the survivors it exists to protect, delayed answering their questions and dismissed their calls for proper safeguarding of witnesses and evidence.
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“We have lost faith in Operation Cornpoppy. The latest safeguarding failure, exposing the identities of 147 victims, is the culmination of a multi-decade history of failure.
“The state cannot use the principle of non-interference in police investigations as a shield for its responsibilities to victims and the public.
“No One Above calls on the Burnham Government to show the resolve its predecessors lacked.
“Prove now that the safety of women and girls matters, deliver justice to Fayed victims and end impunity for those who believe themselves above British law.”
The campaign group has urged the National Crime Agency (NCA) to take the lead on the investigation to bring in the “financial and international capabilities a serious organised crime case demands”.
The Met said the data breach was being investigated “as a matter of priority”
A spokesman said: “On Tuesday 11 August, officers issued a monthly update to victims regarding progress in our investigation into those who may have facilitated Mohamed Al Fayed’s offending.
“The update was to confirm a further three suspects, one aged in their 70s and two in their 80s, have recently been interviewed under caution, bringing the total number interviewed under caution as part of the investigation to seven. Inquiries remain ongoing.
“Due to human error, recipients’ email addresses were visible to others on the distribution list.
“The issue was identified quickly and immediate action was taken.
“We understand the impact this may have on victims and sincerely apologise. Everyone affected was contacted directly on the day of the incident.
“The incident is being investigated as a matter of priority, and we are reviewing our processes to help prevent a similar breach from happening again.”
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