London Police Apologize for Data Leak in Investigation into Mohamed Al-Fayed

London Police apologized on Saturday after an error led to the exposure of the email addresses of women who had filed complaints alleging they were subjected to sexual assaults by Mohamed Al-Fayed, the late owner of Harrods department store.

The data breach occurred on Tuesday when the UK capital’s police force sent a bulk email to victims containing a monthly update, without using the blind carbon copy (BCC) feature, making the email addresses of all recipients visible to everyone on the list.

According to the BBC, approximately 140 women were affected by the error. British media reported that the UK’s data protection regulator had been notified of the breach.

In a statement, the police said, “Due to human error, the email addresses of recipients became visible to others in the distribution list.”

“The issue was identified quickly and immediate action was taken,” the statement added, noting that those affected were contacted “on the day of the incident.”

“We are aware of the impact this may have on the victims and offer our sincere apologies,” it continued.

The police statement indicated that “the incident is being investigated as a top priority, and we are reviewing our procedures to help prevent such a breach from occurring in the future.”

To date, approximately 157 victims have reported to the police allegations of sexual assault, rape, sexual exploitation, and human trafficking by Al-Fayed, who died in 2023 at the age of 94.

The late Egyptian businessman purchased Harrods in 1985, after acquiring the Ritz Hotel in Paris.

Multiple complaints were filed against him before his death, but none resulted in legal prosecution.

Additionally, around 259 victims have applied for compensation under a redress scheme launched by Harrods last year, following an increasing number of former female employees filing complaints against Al-Fayed after a BBC documentary aired in 2024.

London Police have so far questioned six individuals suspected of facilitating Al-Fayed’s abuses, although no arrests have been made yet.