French Probe Alleges Al-Fayed Ran Sex Trafficking Network with Invasive Medical Checks
French authorities are investigating the late Egyptian businessman Mohamed Al-Fayed and his brother Salah over allegations of a vast system of sex trafficking and abuse on French soil. The probe, handled by a specialised human trafficking unit, has uncovered disturbing claims from multiple victims who describe being subjected to invasive medical examinations before working closely with the brothers.
Women Described as 'Meat' in Medical Screening Process
According to alleged victims, young women were required to undergo what one French lawyer described as being treated like "meat" before being allowed to work near Mohamed Al-Fayed. The medical appointments went far beyond standard checkups, including pelvic exams, "thorough breast exams," smear tests, and HIV testing.
Former Harrods employee Rachael Louw, now speaking publicly for the first time, described how she was "spotted" by Mohamed Al-Fayed in 1993 while working as a sales assistant at the luxury department store. Shortly after, she was placed on a management training scheme that required a medical examination by a Harley Street doctor before her employment in the chairman's office in 1994.
The confidential medical report was allegedly handed directly to Harrods management, detailing Louw's personal life including her parents' separation, her father living in the United States, and the deaths of her mother and grandmother. The doctor also noted she took birth control pills, had a boyfriend, and was in "excellent" health.
"These young women were like meat, and they wanted to know if they were fit to consume," said Caroline Joly, a member of the legal team representing victims. French lawyer Eva Joly added that the doctor "sent confidential information to arm the rapist."
Pattern of Abuse Across Multiple Locations
The alleged crimes of Mohamed Al-Fayed, who died in 2023 aged 94, first came to light in a BBC investigation in September 2024. Several young women who worked at his upmarket London department store Harrods accused him of rape and sexual assault. British police have reported that 154 victims have so far come forward alleging abuse by the former owner of Premier League club Fulham.
Former Swedish assistant Kristina Svensson told French police that during her two years working at the Paris Ritz, then owned by Mohamed Al-Fayed, "every time I met Mohamed Al-Fayed, he tried to assault me." She described being left alone for hours before he would arrive and attempt to assault her, laughing during the attacks.
Svensson, who was 30 when she began working at the Ritz in 1998, said her interview questions focused on her appearance and personal background rather than her qualifications. She was told she was the "spitting image" of Al-Fayed's wife and was provided accommodation at a luxury residence he owned.
"I was a foreigner, with no family or network in the country, no knowledge of French labour law, and no one to lean on financially if I quit," Svensson told police, describing herself in retrospect as a closely watched "luxury product" that Al-Fayed wanted to possess.
Trafficking Allegations Spanning Decades
Rachael Louw's experience illustrates what lawyers describe as a "powerful system" of trafficking resembling that established by American sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein. After being placed on the management scheme at Harrods, Louw was sent to Salah Fayed's yacht on the French Riviera when she was 23 years old.
Louw described how staff confiscated her passport as she flew from London's Luton airport to the yacht. Once there, "nothing" resembled the job she had signed up for. "I thought I was supposed to be filing paperwork, making arrangements, organising office work," she said. "Instead there was no office, no normal working hours, no time off. I was expected to just be with him."
She recalled appearing alongside Salah Fayed at dinners attended by elderly, wealthy men with "young girls and lots of touching." One night, she woke to find Salah in her bed, claiming he was lonely. "I went ramrod straight and the rest of the night I was awake just lying there petrified," she said.
Louw managed to escape after Salah bought a speedboat with only one bedroom and told her he would take her sailing around the Italian coast. "I knew that if I went on that boat nothing good would happen," she said, prompting her to book the first available flight out.
Frustration with British Investigation Leads to French Case
Some victims have turned to French authorities after becoming frustrated with the London Metropolitan Police's investigation of alleged crimes spanning more than 35 years. "In England they're ignoring the trafficking... They just want to make it about Al-Fayed and Harrods," said Louw.
The French investigation represents "a relief that our cases are actually being recognised as trafficking," she added. Louw was able to testify about her experiences to French investigators on February 10, 31 years after the alleged events.
Lawyers for the victims say their testimony helps sketch the outlines of an organized system that involved selecting vulnerable young women, transportation, accommodation, isolation, and financial manipulation. "The pattern is the same: selecting vulnerable young women, transport, accommodation, isolation and money, which is used to intimidate or corrupt," said lawyer Eva Joly, a former judge and European parliament member.
Corporate Responses and Ongoing Investigations
The Ritz Paris issued a statement saying it was "deeply saddened by the testimonies and the allegations of abuse" and is "ready to fully cooperate with the judicial authorities." The hotel added that its teams "do not tolerate any form of inappropriate behaviour, which would be a serious breach of our code of conduct."
Harrods stated it "continues to support the bravery of all women in coming forward" and noted that more than 180 survivors have already received counselling support through its independent advocate. The store also urged survivors to claim compensation through the Harrods Redress Scheme.
London's Metropolitan Police said its "investigation into those who could have facilitated or enabled Mohamed Al-Fayed's offending continues" and urged victims to come forward, noting that "the way the Met works has moved on immeasurably" regarding rape and sexual offence investigations.
Despite the deaths of both brothers—Salah died in 2010—the women hope investigators can still track down who enabled the trafficking network. "There is no such thing as a small piece of information. Every element is useful for the investigation," Svensson said, calling on victims and witnesses to speak to police.
French lawyers emphasize that while the statute of limitations may have expired for some cases, an investigation can still establish facts and identify victims whose cases could still be prosecuted. "We are only at the beginning of piecing the puzzle together in France," Joly insisted.
