British Police Apologize for Revealing Email Addresses of Sexual Abuse Victims

British police apologized after accidentally disclosing the email addresses of approximately 140 people who said they were sexually abused by Mohammed Al Fayed, the former owner of the famous Harrods store and the father of Dodi Al Fayed, who died in a car accident with Princess Diana. Scotland Yard confirmed to the BBC that the email addresses of everyone who signed up to receive monthly email updates for victims were mistakenly included in the sent email. The update revealed that three more suspects in their 70s and 80s were questioned, bringing the total number of suspects questioned to seven. Police said they have contacted the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and are considering providing additional support to victims and additional security measures. The activist group "Justice for the Victims of Fayed and Harrod" described the incident as "appalling" and demanded more information about how police are strengthening protections for personal data. A police spokesman told the BBC that the monthly update sent to victims on August 11 contained details of progress in the investigation. "Due to human error, recipients' email addresses were visible to others on the distribution list. The issue was quickly identified and immediate action was taken. We understand the impact this situation had on the victims and we sincerely apologize. Everyone affected was notified directly on the day of the incident." The police spokesman noted that they "reviewed the security processes" to prevent a similar violation from occurring again. PRINCESS DIANA AND DODI AL FAYED After her divorce from Prince Charles in 1996, Diana began a short-lived and highly publicized relationship with Dodi Al Fayed in the summer of 1997. On August 31, 1997, they both died in an accident in a Paris tunnel while running away from paparazzi. Dodi Al Fayed was an Egyptian film producer and the son of billionaire Mohamed Al Fayed. He was living a luxurious lifestyle and had only been with Diana for a few weeks. Diana and her driver Henri Paul died in the accident. WHO IS MUHAMMED AL FAYED Dodi's father was an Egyptian billionaire who owned Paris Ritz and Fulham FC. After his son's death, he put forward conspiracy theories that the British royal family had orchestrated the crash; these allegations were rejected by official investigations. Following his death in 2023, widespread reports were published revealing decades of systematic sexual abuse against his female employees. Mohammed Al-Fayed bought the famous department store chain Harrods for £615 million in 1985, after a fierce negotiation. After 25 years as owner of the famous luxury department store, he sold the chain to Qatar Holding for £1.5bn in 2010.