At least five women who allege sexual abuse by the late Harrods owner Mohamed Al-Fayed have been officially recognized as victims of human trafficking, according to decisions by Home Office authorities. These decisions, known as "conclusive grounds" findings, confirm their status as victims in the context of modern slavery laws in the United Kingdom.

The first such decision was granted in April to Rachael Louw, who reported abuse by Mohamed Al-Fayed, who died in 2023, and his brother Salah Al-Fayed, who passed away in 2010. Since then, four other members of an advocacy group called No One Above—using the pseudonyms Justine, Elizabeth, Margo, and Isabella—have also received positive conclusive grounds rulings.

Justine, who worked at Harrods during the 1990s, said the confirmation helped her recognize the extent of her experience: “It’s not something I realised was happening to me at the time... it’s a really significant thing, seeing it in writing that you were a victim of modern slavery and trafficking.”

Elizabeth highlighted challenges regarding public and institutional understanding of human trafficking, noting that it is often mistakenly thought to involve cross-border movement exclusively. She emphasized that trafficking can occur internally, including within a single establishment, and cited positive conclusive grounds decisions relating to incidents that took place inside Harrods.

Margo, a former domestic worker for Al-Fayed after his family sold Harrods in 2010, indicated that the alleged trafficking network extended far beyond the department store. She referenced additional locations such as Balnagown, Saint-Tropez, and Fulham Football Club, as well as multiple residences and business ventures linked to Al-Fayed. “Everywhere he went he had enablers, and everywhere he went he had the capacity to abuse," she said, adding that there could be many more victims than those currently identified.

Isabella, who worked in Harrods’ chairman’s office in 2001, reinforced the view that Al-Fayed did not act alone. She stated that the abuse was enabled and facilitated by various entities under Al-Fayed’s control, including his yachts, aviation business, the Ritz Paris, and properties across France, Monaco, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates.

So far, more than 400 allegations of sexual misconduct have been made against Al-Fayed, spanning from 1977 to 2014. These include accusations of sexual assault, rape, sexual exploitation, and human trafficking. The Metropolitan Police are investigating claims from at least 156 individuals who have directly contacted them, including 21 who came forward prior to Al-Fayed’s death.

To date, four individuals have been interviewed by police in connection with the inquiry, which has been ongoing for 19 months. The Home Office was approached for comment but declined to provide a statement.