For years, Rachael Louw knew what had happened to her. Now, the British government does too.
The UK Home Office has formally recognized Louw, a survivor of Mohamed Al Fayed’s abuse, as a victim of modern slavery. This landmark decision could reshape how police investigate the case and how authorities treat future survivors.
Louw, who waived her right to anonymity, was trafficked and abused by the former Harrods owner and his brother Salah Fayed. Additionally, at least three other women have been referred to the government’s National Referral Mechanism (NRM) and are awaiting similar rulings.
A decision years in the making
The Home Office issued a “conclusive grounds” decision and confirmed Louw as a victim of modern slavery. It found that she had endured sexual exploitation in the UK and across multiple areas of France over a three-year period. Legal experts say such a ruling lends credibility to witnesses in criminal proceedings and can influence the direction of police investigations.
Louw described the outcome as hard to process but meaningful. The BBC quotes her saying:
It was an odd feeling to feel positive about an acknowledgement of something that was so intrinsically negative. But it is vindication and validation.
She had reported her case to the Metropolitan Police in 2024 but felt the force did not take the trafficking aspects seriously. Support from the survivor campaign group No One Above, enabled her referral to the NRM. Furthermore, at least four women connected to the Al Fayed abuse have received positive “reasonable grounds” decisions—the first stage of the NRM process—and are waiting for final rulings.
Police widen the investigation
The Metropolitan Police have broadened their Al Fayed inquiry to include human trafficking. The force strengthened its team with officers experienced in modern slavery and committed to contacting victims who may be eligible for NRM referral. In March, police announced that three women and a man had been interviewed under caution over offences including human trafficking for sexual exploitation and facilitating rape. By that point, 154 victims had come forward.
Hundreds of women have accused Al Fayed—who owned Harrods between 1985 and 2010 —of rape, sexual assault and trafficking. Al Fayed died in 2023, aged 94, never having faced charges. Salah Fayed also passed away in 2010.
A spokesperson for No One Above was direct in response to the Home Office decision:
The government has recognized 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.
Why this moment matters
The Al Fayed case echoes another: Jeffrey Epstein. In both cases, powerful, wealthy men exploited and trafficked women and girls for years. In both cases, their status granted them access, cover, and impunity. And in both cases, survivors were not believed quickly enough, and institutional failures allowed the abuse to continue.
Trafficking rarely announces itself. It hides behind luxury, contracts, and respectability. As Louw’s case shows, survivors must stay at the center of investigations. Their testimony is what finally forces systems to act. Learn more about trafficking for sexual exploitation here.
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