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 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 the ongoing search for 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 gynecological 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 realize I was a victim of sex trafficking until this past year when I… saw the scale and scope of the abuse and realized 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 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 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 behavior was first brought to light by a BBC documentary and podcast, broadcast in September 2024. The documentary featured testimony from over 20 female ex-Harrods employees who allege sexual assault or rape by Al Fayed. Following the broadcast, the Met had been approached by 21 women before Al Fayed's death, who accused him of various sexual offenses. Ms Spong herself spoke to British police about Al Fayed in 2017 but claims she was told he was too ill to be questioned.
Earlier this year, the Met penned a letter to alleged victims apologizing for the distress they have suffered because Al Fayed will never face justice. The agency is currently investigating its handling of historical allegations and reviewing whether others could face charges for enabling his behavior. Harrods has established a compensation fund of over £60m to address claims of abuse attributed to Al Fayed.
