The Guardian
Phillippa Kaufmann KC, who helped black cab rapist’s victims sue the Metropolitan police, is helping examine whether the force should have done more to bring Harrods boss to justice.
The lawyer who helped victims sue the Metropolitan Police for failing to investigate John Worboys, the black cab rapist, is working with women allegedly attacked by Mohamed Al Fayed.
Phillippa Kaufmann KC has joined the legal team examining whether police had a duty to do more to bring Fayed to justice when allegations were made against him.
Since the BBC documentary Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods was shown last Thursday, more than 100 women have contacted law firms representing five women who say they were raped by Fayed while he owned Harrods, along with others who have made allegations of sexual misconduct.
There may also be a need for a public inquiry to understand whether some of the claims against Fayed were “swept under the carpet”, according to Emma Jones, a partner at the legal firm Leigh Day.
Fayed, who died last year aged 94, was accused of sexual harassment or sexual assault on several occasions as far back as 1995, so the legal team is examining whether or not police breached the Human Rights Act by failing to investigate him properly.
Vanity Fair magazine made allegations against Fayed in 1995, followed by ITV’s The Big Story in 1997 when four women claimed they were sexually harassed.
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