Sex abuse survivors will meet the Prime Minister on Wednesday as part of a campaign for greater accountability over what they describe as “decades of institutional rape and sexual abuse” linked to Harrods.
Sir Keir Starmer is due to meet alleged victims of the luxury department store’s former owner, Mohamed Al Fayed, in what survivor groups hope will be a “landmark moment” in the pursuit of justice.
More than 400 allegations of sexual misconduct have been made against Al Fayed, dating back to 1977.
Last month, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) launched an investigation into five serving and former Metropolitan Police officers over potential misconduct in their handling of allegations against the former Harrods owner, who died in 2023 at the age of 94.
Lucy Duckworth, policy lead for the Survivors Trust who will chair the meeting, said it must be a “turning point” for victims of sex abuse and called for policymakers to address “the wider systemic failures that allowed abuse on this scale to occur and persist”.
She added: “Lasting change will depend on transparency, accountability, and a commitment to strengthening safeguarding across institutions.”
The rape and sexual abuse services provider convened the meeting alongside the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on the Survivors of Mohamed Al Fayed and Harrods.
The cross-party group of MPs was set up to amplify survivors’ voices in Parliament, scrutinise investigations and push for transparency and systemic change.
The Survivors Trust says the meeting with Sir Keir will mark the first time a Prime Minister has engaged directly with survivors connected to a “single institution”, but stressed it should mark “the beginning of sustained engagement with the Government, rather than an end point”.
The APPG is calling for a full understanding of what it calls “systemic failures” surrounding Harrods and action to prevent further abuse.
Harrods set up a redress scheme to offer compensation and counselling for those affected and praised “the bravery of all survivors in coming forward”.
