Met Police Sent Joanna Brittan's Details to Wrong Alleged Victim in Al Fayed Abuse Case
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 3
Met Police Sent Joanna Brittan's Details to Wrong Alleged Victim in Al Fayed Abuse Case
1 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 3
Handwritten notes from Joanna Brittan's abuse account, plus her address, phone number and date of birth, were mistakenly sent by the Metropolitan Police to another alleged victim in Australia.
The breach stemmed from human error after Brittan asked for her original 2017 statement back for her lawyers; the case has been reported to the Information Commissioner's Office and she was offered a one-off payment.
Brittan, who says she was trafficked to Mohamed Al Fayed and raped by his associate, called the Met "shambolic, incompetent and complicit"; survivor advocate Jasvinder Sanghera said the mistake undermined confidence in the force's current operation.
Her allegations against Al Fayed are understood to form part of Operation Cornpoppy, the Met's ongoing probe into people who may have enabled his offending, while a serving officer and four former officers are already under misconduct investigation.
More than 200 alleged Al Fayed survivors are due to join a virtual meeting with Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday, as campaigners press for scrutiny of wider systemic failures.
As trafficking allegations against a UK billionaire gain official notice, how deep does the network of complicity run?
With police using AI to monitor officers, why do basic errors that re-traumatize victims still happen?
400 Allegations, 200 Survivors: Unmasking Mohamed Al Fayed’s Network and the Urgent Need for Systemic Reform
Overview
This report examines the extensive allegations of abuse, harassment, and rape against Mohamed Al Fayed, who died in 2023, and the ongoing efforts to hold both him and those who may have enabled his actions accountable. It highlights the Metropolitan Police investigation into individuals suspected of facilitating over 400 alleged crimes, as well as a separate probe into possible police misconduct. The report also addresses the serious impact of a recent data breach on survivor trust, the broader systemic failures within institutions like Harrods, and the urgent calls from survivors and advocates for meaningful reform and stronger protections.