French authorities have opened an investigation into sex trafficking linked to Mohamed Al Fayed, the late businessman accused of years of sexual exploitation. The allegations reveal a pattern of abuse that spanned countries and decades. Survivors describe a system that controlled and exploited women across borders, fueled by power and wealth.

A new investigation into long-ignored abuse

The Paris prosecutor’s office opened an inquiry after receiving evidence of possible aggravated human trafficking involving multiple victims, according to correspondence seen by the BBC.

One survivor, American Pelham Spong, played a key role in pushing French authorities to act. In 2008, she applied for a job as a personal assistant with the Al Fayed family in Monaco. Instead of a normal hiring process, she says she was repeatedly flown from Al Fayed’s Ritz Paris to London—as he allegedly did with other young female staff.

Spong says she was subjected to an invasive gynecological exam and sexually assaulted in Al Fayed’s office. “He told me the job entailed sleeping with him,” she said. She refused. Years later, after learning more about other women’s experiences, she realized her story fit into a wider system. She said:

I didn’t realize I was a victim of sex trafficking until this past year… I saw the scale and scope of the abuse and realized that it was a pattern and a system and a machine.

Spong, now living in the US, returned to Paris a few months ago to report her experience to police. She hopes her actions encourage more survivors to come forward. Her lawyer believes she has a strong case.

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