Home Office rule Al Fayed survivor a victim of modern slavery

The Home Office has formally identified Rachel Louw, who was abused by Mohammed Al Fayed, and his brother Salah, as a victim of trafficking and modern slavery.

Louw has been found to have been trafficked and subjected to sexual exploitation in the UK, as well as parts of France, over a three-year period. Louw, who has waived her right to anonymity, has said she feels vindicated by the decision.

Victims of modern slavery are supported through the UK’s National Referral Mechanism (NRM). Victims cannot refer themselves to the NRM, but have to be identified by a ‘first responder’ organisation, such as the police or particular charities.

Victims then await an initial ‘reasonable grounds’ decision, indicating there is a potential for them to be victims. After that comes a ‘conclusive grounds’ decision which, if positive, means they are considered to be a victim of modern slavery.

The BBC reports that at least four women connected with the Al Fayeds have been given positive ‘reasonable grounds’ decisions, all of which were referred through the charity Unseen. Louw was also referred by Unseen, and supported by the group No One Above. She spoke to the police in 2024, but didn’t feel that her claims were taken seriously, and feels that she should have been referred to the NRM at that point.

“It was an odd feeling to feel positive about an acknowledgement of something that was so intrinsically negative,” Louw said. “But it is vindication and validation.”

Over 150 women have come forward to accuse Mohammed Al Fayed, who owned the luxury goods store Harrods until 2010, of rape, sexual assault, and trafficking. Mohammed Al Fayed died in 2023 having never faced charges, and his brother Salah, who has also been accused by several of the women, died in 2010.

A spokesperson for No One Above said: “The government has recognised what survivors and experts said from the start: this was trafficking. NOA campaigned tirelessly for this - because only a trafficking investigation can gather the evidence needed for meaningful accountability.”