60 women have stepped forward accusing Mohamed Al-Fayed, the late Egyptian billionaire and former owner of Harrods, of sexual abuse.
This revelation comes after a BBC documentary aired last week, detailing allegations of rape and sexual abuse against Al-Fayed during his tenure at the luxury department store.
Lawyers representing the victims confirmed the number, stating, “The response has simply been enormous. We can confirm that we now represent 60 survivors as part of our claim, with more to come.”
The allegations span globally, with victims from various countries coming forward. The legal team noted, “Our claim is becoming increasingly global in scope… We expected that anywhere Mohamed Al-Fayed went, the abuse would follow. Sadly, this has proven to be true.”
British prosecutors revealed that they had received evidence against Al-Fayed on two separate occasions; Accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl in 2008 and accused of raping a woman in 2013.
In both cases, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) declined to bring charges, citing no “realistic prospect of conviction.”
The allegations describe a disturbing pattern of abuse.
There were selection processes where women were chosen for positions close to Al-Fayed, Invasive gynaecological examinations and results were shared with Al-Fayed, and intimidation and silence where victims were threatened, demoted, and falsely accused, forcing them to leave Harrods.
Harrods’ Managing Director, Michael Ward, condemned Al-Fayed’s actions, stating, “He presided over a toxic culture of secrecy, intimidation, fear of repercussion, and sexual misconduct.” Ward expressed his “personal horror” at the revelations but claimed he was unaware of Al-Fayed’s abuse.
The lawyers representing the victims are seeking an “independent and transparent process to evaluate and adjudicate these claims.” The women have “lost all faith in Harrods and their processes.”
Al-Fayed’s estate has not commented on the allegations. The billionaire sold Harrods to Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund for £1.5 billion ($2.2 billion) before his death in 2023 at age 94.
