'Lifting the shame that was never mine to carry' - alleged victim of Al Fayed associate
'Lifting the shame that was never mine to carry' - alleged victim of Al Fayed associate8 hours ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleMatthew HillSouth West correspondentBBCJoanna Brittan's case is being reviewed by...
Key developments are emerging from the global stage. 'Lifting the shame that was never mine to carry' - alleged victim of Al Fayed associate8 hours ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleMatthew HillSouth West correspondentBBCJoanna Brittan's case is being reviewed by the National Referral MechanismWarning: This article contains upsetting contentA woman who says she was raped and trafficked by an associate of the businessman Mohamed Al Fayed has been identified as a possible victim of modern slavery. "It makes me feel really excited that I can finally lift the shame that was never mine to carry," Joanna Brittan says, almost a decade after first reporting the allegations to police. In 2017, she reported multiple rapes by Ahmed Obaidly, a United Arab Emirates (UAE) diplomat, and trafficking by the diplomat to Al Fayed dating back to 1990.
Her case is now being reviewed by the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) - the government system for identifying potential victims of modern slavery. Joanna, from Devon, has waived her right to anonymity and decided to speak publicly in the hope that other women who may have been abused will come forward. Both Obaidly and Al Fayed have since died.
The Details
Joanna now wants police to widen their investigation to examine whether others may have facilitated the abuse she alleges. "Obaidly and Al Fayed should have come to justice," she says. "But if those who allowed it to happen are finally held accountable, then maybe something can still change.
"A live investigation by the Metropolitan police into those who may have facilitated or enabled Al Fayed's offending is continuing, and it is urging anyone with information to come forward. Joanna's referral comes amid broader scrutiny of allegations made against Al Fayed and renewed calls for police to examine whether abuse took place within wider networks. 'I was threatened and terrified'In December 2017, Joanna walked into Totnes Police Station to report what she describes as "traumatic memories" from almost three decades earlier.
"I was absolutely terrified," she says. She claims she was threatened and told not to talk about what had happened to her but after watching a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary about Al Fayed she decided to go to police. In 1990, Joanna says she returned to the UK after working in Qatar and applied for a job helping to manage the estate of a UAE royal.
What Experts Say
However, before the job began Joanna says things took an unexpected turn. She claims her recruiter insisted she was tested for sexually transmitted infections in the UAE embassy . "It was disgusting," Joanna explains.
She said there was no job unless I agreed. It wasn't a perk, it was compulsory. "Joanna BrittanJoanna Brittan first met Ahmed Obaidly in 1990According to Joanna, she was later offered accommodation by Obaidly where she alleges he raped her three times.
"He came in at night when I was asleep," she says. "There was no way to escape. I felt myself leaving my body.
The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.
