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The Met Police told about Al Fayed’s abuse ten years earlier than they admit

The Met Police told about Al Fayed’s abuse ten years earlier than they admit

Flyer Samantha Ramsay in black and white studio portrait, with long blond hair, smiling at the cameraHand out

Samantha Ramsay said she was told by police in 1995 that she was “not the first” to report being assaulted by Al Fayed

The BBC can reveal that the Met Police learned of allegations of sexual assault by Mohamed Al Fayed a decade earlier than they admitted.

The late Samantha Ramsay was 17 when she reported Al Fayed to the Met in 1995 after he groped her in Harrods. So far The Met said its first report was from 2005.

Samantha’s family say the Met has dismissed her claims. They believe that if force were used, many women could be saved from sexual abuse.

The Met says it has no history of Samantha’s reports on its current computer systems, but in 1995 some reports were on paper and may not have been submitted.

“While we cannot change what has happened, we acknowledge that our approach in the past has had an impact on trust and confidence and we are determined to do better,” said Cdr Stephen Clayman, discussing the Met’s overall response to Al Fayed.

Speaking for the first time, Samantha’s mother Wendy and sister Emma say that in 1995, police told her that many women had complained about Al Fayed.

These reports raise questions about whether the Met has confirmed the full number of reports it has received from victims and acknowledged the extent to which it has failed to investigate them.

Wendy and Emma describe Samantha as full of life, energetic and always willing to help. “Everyone loved her,” Wendy says.

In 1995, Samantha moved to London to fulfill her dream of working at Harrods. But her family says what happened there changed the course of her life.

“If this hadn’t happened, I think she’d probably still be here. Really,” Emma tells the BBC.

Wendy Ramsay and daughter Emma sit on a leather sofa in the living room, holding a photo of Samantha. Wendy has gray hair, glasses and wears a blue and red top, while Emma is blonde and wears jeans with a navy blue top with a pattern of small stars.

Samantha’s mother Wendy and sister Emma say her complaint was dismissed by the Met

Shortly after Samantha started working in the Harrods toy department, Al Fayed noticed her and began inviting her to his office.

We can read further events in Samantha’s own words, who, dissatisfied with the police’s reaction, told her story in 1998 to the News of the World daily. He repeats many accounts told since the BBC documentary Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods she first revealed the rape allegations in September.

The article said Al Fayed gave Samantha £50 notes and offered her a better-paid job. However, during the second meeting, he told her that she needed to see a doctor and insisted that she wash herself with Dettol. Al Fayed then committed sexual assault.

“I was terrified,” reads Samantha’s quote. “And then I ran out of his office. I ran to the toilet and burst into tears.”

When Samantha told her supervisor what had happened, she said he just sighed and said, “Another one.”

She said she was then taken to a room where Al Fayed was brought to her. He began to aggressively scold her and fire her on the spot, she added.

“She came out of it feeling quite threatened,” Emma recalled, adding that Al Fayed told Samantha: “You won’t tell anyone about this because we know where you live. We know your family.

“We added it to the pile.”

The next day Samantha went to Marylebone Police Station in central London and made a report of what had happened.

Both Emma and Wendy claim that during this time they received calls from Samantha, who told them that the police had taken down her details, but stated that nothing would be done because it was her word against his, and he was too powerful.

Emma recalls the police telling Samantha: “We’ve added it to the pile of other female names we have who have made the same complaint against Mohamed Al Fayed.”

“So we know they had different reports,” he says. Samantha also told the News of the World that police said she was “not the first” and that they had an “inch-high file” on Al Fayed.

Having received no information from the Met, the family spoke to a police officer they knew in Hampshire who encouraged them to also report the matter to their local police station in Gosport. The BBC spoke to a retired officer who independently confirmed this account.

Wendy claims that the police visited her home and took a statement from her.

Getty Images Mohamed Al Fayed wearing a navy blue jacket and colorful patterned shirt, photographed through a long lens at a Fulham FC match. He is facing the camera, but his eyes are looking to the leftGetty Images

Al Fayed was never charged in connection with any reports of abuse made during his lifetime

“Apparently he was sent to the Met Police,” he says. However, to this day the family has not received any response from the officers.

“She was completely disappointed,” adds Wendy. “I believe that many women could have been saved, going through what she went through, if the police had listened to them.”

Since the BBC documentary aired, the Met says it has found reports from 21 women who made accusations against Al Fayed between 2005 and his death in 2023.

Last month, the BBC revealed that, while Al Fayed was alive, the Met had sent full evidentiary files on just two of these women to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

Following this story, the Met released a statement that gave the impression that it had previously received investigative advice from the CPS regarding the 10 women. This advice is of a formal nature where the CPS provides the content of the case once the police have presented evidence.

However, the CPS has now confirmed to the BBC that it has only given such advice in four cases, and the Met has told the BBC it accepts this.

Al Fayed was never charged. Since September this year, 60 more women have reported to the police.

“She was never good after London.”

Wendy and Emma believe that her lack of faith at such a young age had a significant impact on Samantha’s mental health.

“Her spark was almost gone,” Emma says. “The ray of light she always had was dimming. The more time passed since the incident, the darker it became. Unfortunately.

The family claims that after returning from London to her family home, Samantha lost trust in people and jumped from job to job, unable to find stability.

Samantha and Wendy's flyers in a photo lit by flash, leaving harsh shadows. Samantha has short blonde hair and her mother has short reddish hair. Their faces are close to each other and they smile broadly at the camera.Hand out

Samantha pictured with her mother Wendy, who says the attack changed the course of her life

“It really changed her perspective on life. Then we had 12 years of erratic behavior, a suicide attempt and never really finding our place,” says Emma.

Samantha died in a car accident in 2007 at the age of 28.

Her death was ruled an accident, but her family suspects she may have tried to take her own life. They claim her mental health history was not examined during the investigation and they will never know for sure.

“She was never okay after what happened in London,” her mother says.

Family Support is calling for a public inquiry into the abuse of Mohamed Al Fayed and is talking to law firm Leigh Day about possible legal options. Wendy and Emma say they wanted to talk to the BBC because Samantha is no longer here so she can do it herself.

Their decision echoes Samantha’s decision 26 years ago, when she told the News of the World: “I was raped by this man… Someone needs to speak up.”

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