60 ‘Survivors’ accuse ex-Harrods boss Mohammed Al-Fayed of sexual abuse
Around 60 women have come forward with allegations of sexual abuse by the late Mohammed Al-Fayed, the former owner of Harrods department store.
This revelation was shared by the legal team representing the accusers on Friday, following a BBC documentary that aired last week exposing Fayed’s alleged history of sexual misconduct.
Fayed, who passed away last year at the age of 94, is accused of raping and sexually assaulting numerous women during his ownership of Harrods, among other properties.
The Egyptian billionaire, once a prominent figure in British society, now joins the ranks of high-profile individuals, such as Harvey Weinstein, disgraced by allegations of sexual abuse.
In a statement, the lawyers representing the survivors disclosed that the number of accusers has surged since the documentary aired. “We can confirm that we now represent 60 survivors as part of our claim, with more to come,” the legal team announced, stating that the response had been overwhelming.
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The legal team also revealed that the scope of the allegations has broadened to a global level, with reports of abuse surfacing from all corners of the world. “Anywhere Mohammed Al-Fayed went, abuse would follow,” the lawyers claimed, adding that credible evidence of misconduct had been discovered at several of Fayed’s properties, including Fulham Football Club and the Ritz hotel in Paris.
Previous Allegations and Legal Proceedings:
This is not the first time that Fayed faced allegations of sexual misconduct. In 2008, he was accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl, and in 2013, another woman accused him of rape.
Both cases were reviewed by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in England, but no charges were brought due to a lack of sufficient evidence.
Despite the CPS’s decision not to pursue criminal charges, the mounting claims from survivors, some of which date back decades, paint a disturbing picture of a pattern of abuse.
Fayed’s accusers say that he often subjected women to a selection process for employment, during which they were required to undergo invasive medical examinations. The results of these examinations were then allegedly shared with Fayed.
When the women attempted to report their abuse, they were reportedly threatened by Fayed’s senior security staff, demoted, or accused of misconduct, leaving them with little choice but to resign from Harrods.
These revelations have further damaged the reputation of the luxury store, where Fayed reigned as its powerful owner before selling it in 2010 to Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund for £1.5 billion.
Harrods Responds:
The allegations have rocked the management of Harrods. The store’s managing director, Michael Ward, issued a statement earlier this week, condemning Fayed’s “toxic culture of secrecy, intimidation, fear of repercussion, and sexual misconduct.” Ward claimed that while he had been aware of the toxic culture, he had no knowledge of Fayed’s criminal activities.
The women represented by the legal team have expressed their disillusionment with Harrods, claiming that the store failed to protect them from Fayed’s predatory behavior. They have now called for an independent inquiry into the matter, hoping for justice years after the alleged crimes occurred.
