Al-Fayed: Who Looked Away?

In this bonus episode of Al Fayed: Who Looked Away?, we’re hearing from journalist Meirion Jones.

Throughout his career Meirion has investigated and broken stories about powerful offenders. The kind of people who, like Mohamed Al-Fayed, had enough money and influence to silence victims and the media.

Throughout this episode he talks us through how those power dynamics work, how the justice system is built, and how a combination of the two enables abuse to continue.
Host: Nicola Thorp.
Producer: Nicola Thorp and Matt Nielson.
Writer: Matt Nielson.
Sound design and mixing: Basil Oxtoby.
Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini.
Executive Producers: Jamie East, Bella Soames, Emma Shaw.
Associate Producer (Ep 1): Lisa Brinkworth.

New episodes of Al-Fayed: Who Looked Away? are released weekly, however you can join The Crime Desk to hear all episodes straight away - along with exclusive weekly bonus episodes of our award-winning podcast The Trial, ad-free listening across all of our shows, and early access to brand-new series.

Take advantage of a 7 day free trial and become a member today at thecrimedesk.com.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many survivors of Al-Fayed’s abuse stayed silent about their experiences for years.

Now that silence is broken.

But speaking out isn’t enough. These survivors want meaningful action.

Frustrated by the new police investigation, Operation Cornpoppy, they will fight to be heard, standing up for justice against the police, the politicians and Harrods itself.

Nothing about this case is simple or straightforward. There are disappointments and setbacks ahead. But as the tide begins to turn, there is also reason to feel hope.

In the final episode of Al-Fayed: Who Looked Away?, all the latest developments of the live investigation.

Host: Nicola Thorp.
Producer: Nicola Thorp and Matt Nielson.
Writer: Matt Nielson.
Sound design and mixing: Basil Oxtoby.
Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini.
Executive Producers: Jamie East, Bella Soames, Emma Shaw.
Associate Producer (Ep 1): Lisa Brinkworth.

New episodes of Al-Fayed: Who Looked Away? are released weekly, however you can join The Crime Desk to hear all episodes straight away - along with exclusive weekly bonus episodes of our award-winning podcast The Trial, ad-free listening across all of our shows, and early access to brand-new series.

Take advantage of a 7 day free trial and become a member today at thecrimedesk.com.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As details emerged about the scale and systematic nature of Mohamed Al-Fayed’s crimes, he was compared to another notorious predator – Jeffrey Epstein.

Soon, survivors of Al-Fayed start describing their experiences using a term from Epstein’s case – trafficking.

Their stories of being trafficked illustrate the scale of these crimes - and could be the key to getting justice.

But this case has a long history of failure. As police launch an investigation into Al-Fayed, survivors ask some difficult questions about missed opportunities for justice, and of the people and institutions who failed to act.

How did Al-Fayed avoid any consequences for his crimes? And is the new police investigation repeating old mistakes?

Host: Nicola Thorp.
Producer: Nicola Thorp and Matt Nielson.
Writer: Matt Nielson.
Sound design and mixing: Basil Oxtoby.
Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini.
Executive Producers: Jamie East, Bella Soames, Emma Shaw.
Associate Producer (Ep 1): Lisa Brinkworth.

New episodes of Al-Fayed: Who Looked Away? are released weekly, however you can join The Crime Desk to hear all episodes straight away - along with exclusive weekly bonus episodes of our award-winning podcast The Trial, ad-free listening across all of our shows, and early access to brand-new series.

Take advantage of a 7 day free trial and become a member today at thecrimedesk.com.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mohamed Al-Fayed’s abuses were not isolated incidents. They were a deliberate pattern of exploitation and control.

And they started on the shop floor, a toxic working environment where young women were on show as much as the items on sale. Women like series host Nicola Thorp.

As more and more survivors come forward, their stories reveal just how far and wide this pattern spread – and how many others were involved.

This was bigger than just one man. Even Harrods staff who never met Al-Fayed could feel something was wrong in the store

Now, survivors and staff speak out about what was really going on behind the glamorous facade of Harrods.

Host: Nicola Thorp.
Producer: Nicola Thorp and Matt Nielson.
Writer: Matt Nielson.
Sound design and mixing: Basil Oxtoby.
Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini.
Executive Producers: Jamie East, Bella Soames, Emma Shaw.
Associate Producer (Ep 1): Lisa Brinkworth.

New episodes of Al-Fayed: Who Looked Away? are released weekly, however you can join The Crime Desk to hear all episodes straight away - along with exclusive weekly bonus episodes of our award-winning podcast The Trial, ad-free listening across all of our shows, and early access to brand-new series.

Take advantage of a 7 day free trial and become a member today at thecrimedesk.com.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On a winter’s day in 1990, Joanna Brittan’s boss beckons her off the street, and into a waiting limousine.

They take a long drive to a country estate outside of London, where they meet Mohamed Al-Fayed – the billionaire businessman who owns the iconic department store, Harrods.

Decades later, Joanna will look back at this strange trip to the countryside in a new, disturbing light.

And when serious allegations emerge after Al-Fayed’s death, she believes that her story is part of a bigger picture that is only just beginning to be revealed.
Host: Nicola Thorp.
Producer: Nicola Thorp and Matt Nielson.
Writer: Matt Nielson.
Sound design and mixing: Basil Oxtoby.
Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini.
Executive Producers: Jamie East, Bella Soames, Emma Shaw.
Associate Producer (Ep 1): Lisa Brinkworth.

New episodes of Al-Fayed: Who Looked Away? are released weekly, however you can join The Crime Desk to hear all episodes straight away - along with exclusive weekly bonus episodes of our award-winning podcast The Trial, ad-free listening across all of our shows, and early access to brand-new series.

Take advantage of a 7 day free trial and become a member today at thecrimedesk.com.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.