Late billionaire and former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed has been accused of sexual assault, including rape, by five former female employees.
A new BBC documentary and podcast titled “Al-Fayed: Predator at Harrods,” detailed the alleged experiences of more than 20 women, with five claiming that the billonaire assaulted them.
The alleged incidents took place in various locations, such as London, Paris, St Tropez, and Abu Dhabi.
The podcast alleged that Harrods not only failed to protect its employees but also played a role in covering up the allegations. The current owner of Harrods has expressed horror at these revelations and apologized sincerely to the victims.
Bruce Drummond, a barrister representing several of the women, described Al Fayed’s tenure as a “spider’s web of corruption and abuse.” Several women, some of whom remain anonymous, shared their traumatic experiences of sexual abuse at the hands of Al Fayed.
The allegations span decades and come from women who worked at Harrods during Al Fayed’s ownership from 1985 to 2010. These employees, including personal assistants and sales staff, claim that Al Fayed used his power and influence to manipulate and assault them.
According to their testimonies as documented by BBC, Al Fayed would often promote young, attractive female employees to work in his offices, only to subject them to sexual abuse. Many of these assaults allegedly took place in Harrods’ offices, Al Fayed’s Park Lane apartment, or on trips abroad to locations like the Ritz hotel in Paris and his Villa Windsor property.
Al Fayed’s association with the British royal family began when he acquired Harrods in 1985 and attempted to curry favor with its members. He relentlessly pursued a relationship with the royals, most notably Princess Diana.
Dodi Fayed, Al Fayed’s son, became world-famous following his alleged romance with Princess Diana in the 1990s. Their relationship came to a tragic end on August 31, 1997, when both Dodi and Princess Diana were killed in a car crash in Paris while being pursued by paparazzi.
Despite owning Harrods and his association with Princess Diana through Dodi, there is no evidence of any meaningful relationship between him and Queen Elizabeth II.
Mohamed Al Fayed died on August 30, 2023, at the age of 94. Harrods’ current owners, who have been settling claims with Al Fayed’s victims, issued an apology and condemned the actions of the former owner.