Over 20 women have come forward as part of a BBC exposé alleging that they were sexually assaulted by former Harrods boss Mohamed Al Fayed, who passed away at the age of 94 last year.
Note: This article contains brief descriptions of sexual assault that some may find disturbing
In a newly released documentary and podcast, ‘Al-Fayed: Predator at Harrods’, the BBC unveiled evidence of allegations against the late boss, with testimonies from over 20 female ex-employees, five of which said they were raped by Fayed while others stated they were sexually assaulted.
Those included in the exposé detailed how the former Harrods owner would tour the department store’s sales floors, identifying young female assistants who would then be promoted to work in the offices upstairs. Reported incidents then took place in London, Paris, St Tropez and Abu Dhabi, either at the Harrods’ offices, in Fayed’s own apartment or on overseas trips.
“Mohamed Al Fayed was a monster, a sexual predator with no moral compass whatsoever,” said one of the anonymous victims, who had been a teenager at the time Fayed had allegedly raped her. “We were all so scared. He actively cultivated fear. If he said ‘jump’ employees would ask ‘how high’.”
Fayed had previously faced sexual assault claims while he was still alive, yet he had avoided legal action. In 1997, for example, ITV programme ‘The Big Story’ had broadcasted testimonies from former Harrods employees in which it was claimed that Fayed had sexually harassed women. A similar story was later at the centre of a 2017 Channel 4 Dispatches episode, when Fayed was described to have “groomed” his victims.
In 2008, he had also faced questioning from the Metropolitan Police after an allegation of sexual assault against a 15-year-old schoolgirl. The case was ultimately dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service.
Since the release of the BBC exposé, Harrods’ current owners have responded to its contents, telling the media outlet they were “utterly appalled” by the allegations and that Fayed’s victims had been failed.
The statement continued: “The Harrods of today is a very different organisation to the one owned and controlled by Al Fayed between 1985 and 2010, it is one that seeks to put the welfare of our employees at the heart of everything we do.”
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