Statutory Public Inquiry

Only a Statutory Public Inquiry has the power to compel witnesses to give evidence. Without a statutory inquiry, survivors – and the public – will never know how Fayed, his associates, and the organizations they controlled, were able to operate a system of abuse in plain sight. The truth must be revealed so that lessons can be learned.

NOA welcomes the APPG for the Survivors of Fayed and Harrods

NOA and our members have been working towards a public inquiry and meeting with MPs for over a year. We welcome the announcement of the APPG for Survivors of Fayed and Harrods. This is the first step toward recognising the devastating impact of organised sexual abuse and trafficking linked to one of Britain’s most celebrated institutions. Recognition, however, is not enough. The Government must act to ensure that, in the United Kingdom, no one is above the law. NOA reiterates its call for a statutory public inquiry, fully empowered to compel evidence from any individual, business, or institution with knowledge of, or links to, a system of abuse that operated in plain sight for decades. British justice has failed survivors repeatedly. A statutory public inquiry is necessary to ensure it cannot fail again.

NOA members' call for a statutory public inquiry

We recently delivered a formal letter to 10 Downing Street requesting that the UK Government establish an independent public inquiry into serious allegations of sexual abuse, exploitation, and institutional failure involving Harrods, the late Mohamed Al Fayed, and associated individuals and entities.

The letter detailed survivors’ reports of long-term abuse, systemic cover-ups, and the use of Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) and intimidation to silence victims, alongside failures by Harrods management, law enforcement, and public authorities to act appropriately. It called for an inquiry to determine how such abuses were allowed to persist, assess the conduct of those in positions of power, and affirm that influence and wealth do not place anyone above accountability.

The proposed inquiry would examine internal safeguarding failures, the role of Al Fayed and his associates, the response of public institutions, and the mechanisms used to suppress complaints. Survivors and advocates expressed their willingness to support the process to ensure it is trauma-informed, credible, and transparent.

With growing media and parliamentary attention and parallels to other high-profile abuse scandals, the submission underscored the urgent public need for truth, justice, and systemic reform.

Don't public inquiries take years and the recommendations are ignored?

Public inquiries have come under scrutiny for offering at best delayed accountability over a prolonged, costly and sometimes re-traumatising process for survivors. The recommendations produced are often shelved. We agree with these concerns. However, there is no other vehicle to expose the truth and learn lessons from significant institutional failings – especially where perpetrators have successfully obstructed survivors' path to justice.

NOA supports the recommendations of the Lords report on Public Inquiries: Enhancing Public Trust – specifically that inquiries should be shorter and their recommendations should be tracked (see commentary in the Guardian).