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 to the search – both before and since his death – for some sort of 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 gynaecological 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 realise I was a victim of sex trafficking until this past year when I… saw the scale and scope of the abuse and realised 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 that 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, stated.
Ms Spong expressed the importance of finally recognizing and naming the actions leading to the trafficking, emphasizing the need for society to learn from such cases to prevent reoccurrence.
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 highlighted by a BBC documentary and podcast, which aired in September 2024, featuring testimonies from more than 20 former Harrods employees who alleged sexual assault or rape by him.
Despite earlier accusations, Al Fayed was never charged with any offenses, leading to significant discontent among his many victims.
Earlier this year, the Met Police publicly apologized to alleged victims, acknowledging their suffering due to Al Fayed's inappropriate behavior and the failure to bring him to justice.
