The Metropolitan Police say a total of 146 people have now stepped forward to report crimes as part of their ongoing investigation into former Harrods owner Mohamed al Fayed.
Police said updates in the case were shared with all victims during a video briefing on Monday.
The latest figure is more than double the 61 people officers said had reported allegations the last time it released a number, back in October.
The Met also announced last year that it was conducting an investigation into how it handled historical allegations against the former Harrods and Fulham FC owner, who died in August 2023, aged 94.
It was initially contacted by 21 different women who made allegations including rape and sexual assault, between 2005 and 2023. Subsequently, a file of evidence was passed to the Crown Prosecution Service to decide whether to charge al Fayed in just two cases.
Announcing the latest figures, released on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: “The live investigation into those who could have facilitated or enabled Mohamed al Fayed’s offending continues.
The spokesperson added: “We continue to support all victims and we urge anyone with information, whether they were directly affected by Mohamed al Fayed’s actions or aware of others who may have been involved, or committed offences to come forward.”
The Met also said it “moved on immeasurably” in the way it investigates rape and sexual offences.
“We’re working with partners across the criminal justice system to ensure that victim-survivors are at the heart of our response, with a greater focus on suspects and their offending,” it said in its latest statement.
Al Fayed is suspected of having raped or sexually abused hundreds of women over the 25 years he owned Harrods.
Since his death, numerous victims have come forward, revealing a torrent of details about his abuse.
Mohammed al Fayed was the owner of Harrods. Pic: PA
Earlier this year, Sky News revealed details of the compensation scheme designed by Harrods to award six-figure sums to women he abused.
Even so, there appeared to be confusion about the legal representation of his estate.
In March, the BBC reported that Fladgate, a UK-based law firm, was representing it in an article which said that women who worked for him as nannies and private air stewards were preparing to file legal claims against the estate.
Mohamed al Fayed. File pic: PA
However, in June, a spokesman for Fladgate declined to comment on whether it was acting for al Fayed’s estate, citing confidentiality restrictions.
A source close to the law firm insisted that it was not acting for the estate.
KP Law, another law firm representing abuse survivors, has criticised the process led by Harrods. The firm has also faced scrutiny over plans to take up to 25% of compensation payouts as fees for managing the cases.
The Egyptian-born businessman owned the luxury London department store between 1985 and 2010.
