Met apologises for exposing 143 email addresses of Mohamed Al Fayed victims

The Metropolitan Police has apologised for a mistake that led to the exposure of email addresses belonging to over 140 victims of Mohamed Al Fayed. In a message concerning its investigation, the force inadvertently included the email addresses of 143 victims in a correspondence shared with around 12 other recipients. The Metropolitan Police acknowledged the potential distress this may have caused to the victims and attributed the incident to "human error."

The police force has referred itself to the Information Commissioner for further scrutiny. The email update informed victims of three additional suspects, aged between 70 and 80, who had been interviewed under caution as part of the investigation. In total, seven individuals have been interviewed under caution, amounting to seven cases.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police stated that the issue was quickly identified and immediate action was taken to rectify the situation. They expressed sincere apologies to all affected victims and emphasized that the incident was being treated as a priority. The Met is conducting a thorough review of its processes to avoid similar breaches in the future.

The investigation, known as Operation Cornpoppy, is examining potential suspects who may have facilitated or enabled Fayed's crimes. So far, the Met has interviewed only four individuals under caution out of the 155 victims who have come forward. The case has faced criticism from Fayed's victims, with complaints filed to the Independent Office for Police Conduct in June.

Additionally, the Independent Office for Police Conduct has launched an investigation into a serving Met officer and four former officers concerning their handling of allegations against the late businessman.