Police open investigation into Sir Mo Farah’s child trafficking claims after Home Office declined to take action

Sir Mo Farah will be investigated after all, despite previous assurances

The Metropolitan Police have confirmed Sir Mo Farah will be investigated over claims that he was trafficked into the UK illegally as a child, despite early suggestions from the Home Office that he would not be investigated. UK police say they will now assess the information the 39-year-old former Olympic athlete gave in a BBC documentary, The Real Mo Farah, in which he revealed he was born in Somaliland, smuggled into the country from Djibouti and was told to use Mohamed Farah as his name. In a statement, the Met said: "We are aware of reports in the media concerning Sir Mo Farah. No reports have been made to the MPS [Metropolitan Police Service] at this time. Specialist officers have opened an investigation and are currently assessing the available information." https://twitter.com/PippaCrerar/status/1546769632689782785?s=20&t=f16Xqyoh2uNLPcQ3tBzVKw While Farah told BBC Radio 4 on Wednesday that he was "relieved" to hear the Home Office would not be taking any action following the revelations. They said: "No action whatsoever will be taken against Sir Mo and to suggest otherwise is wrong", adding that he was one of many innocent children who were victims of "modern slavery... in every borough across London". He went on to declare, "This is my country" and said that the support he has received has been "incredible". However, it would seem an investigation will still be carried out following his confession. https://twitter.com/BBCNews/status/1547277692709511170?s=20&t=f16Xqyoh2uNLPcQ3tBzVKw Sir Mo, real name Hussein Abdi Kahin, said he came to Britain in 1993 after fleeing the civil war in Somalia - a conflict in which his father was killed and he was ultimately separated from his family. From there, the long-distance runner said he was taken by a woman he did not know and forced into domestic servitude, despite previously claiming he arrived as a refugee with his parents.

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