The Metropolitan Police were made aware of sexual assault allegations against Mohamed Al Fayed a decade earlier than previously acknowledged, according to recent findings by the BBC. In 1995, 17-year-old Samantha Ramsay reported Al Fayed to the police after he groped her at Harrods. Until this revelation, the Met had maintained that their first report related to the case came in 2005.

Samantha’s family asserts that her claims were dismissed by the police, prompting their lawyer to call for a public inquiry into the matter. The Met has stated that current computer systems show no record of Samantha’s report, suggesting that earlier reports might have been documented on paper and not digitized.

Commander Stephen Clayman of the Met expressed regret regarding past approaches to such cases, acknowledging that public trust has been impacted. Samantha’s mother, Wendy, and sister, Emma, revealed that police informed them in 1995 that multiple women had lodged complaints against Al Fayed. They believe that if the police had acted sooner, many women might have been spared from abuse.

Samantha was described by her family as vibrant and helpful; she had moved to London in pursuit of her dream job at Harrods. However, they believe that her experience with Al Fayed altered her life’s trajectory significantly. Emma reflected on this saying she felt Samantha would likely still be alive if not for what happened.

A lawyer representing Samantha’s family is advocating for a public inquiry to uncover the truth behind the allegations against Al Fayed and learn from the failures in handling these cases. She pointed out that the Met has not accounted for all reports made against Al Fayed and emphasized the need for thorough investigations without any obfuscation.

Shortly after beginning her job at Harrods, Samantha caught Al Fayed’s attention, leading him to invite her to his office where he assaulted her during their second meeting. Feeling terrified after the incident, she recounted rushing out of his office in distress. Upon reporting the assault to her supervisor, she felt dismissed with indifference. Following this incident, she went to Marylebone police station but was told it was her word against his due to his powerful status.

Despite reporting it again through a local officer in Hampshire who encouraged further action, Samantha’s family received no follow-up from the Met. Wendy expressed deep disappointment over how her daughter was treated and believes many other women could have been protected if only authorities had listened.

Since a recent BBC documentary aired detailing allegations against Al Fayed, the Met has discovered reports from 21 women who accused him between 2005 and his death in 2023. Yet only two of these cases were forwarded to the Crown Prosecution Service during his lifetime.

Samantha’s tragic story underlines significant systemic issues within law enforcement regarding how sexual assault allegations are processed and taken seriously. Following her experiences in London, she struggled with mental health challenges and ultimately died in a car accident at age 28. Her family believes this incident profoundly affected her life trajectory and mental well-being.