Former Harrods billionaire proprietor Mohamed Al-Fayed has been accused of raping and sexually assaulting greater than 20 feminine staff after they labored on the luxurious segment pack, consistent with a pristine document.
The rankings of ladies advised a new BBC documentary the Egyptian wealthy person, who died latter yr, performed the assaults right through his 25-year possession of Harrods — and that the luxury London segment pack allegedly lined up the abuse.
Al-Fayed, whose son Dodi used to be killed with Princess Diana in a horiffic 1997 automotive accident, is accused of raping 5 ladies and sexually abusing a minimum of 15 others in Harrods’ workplaces, in his London condominium or homes he owned in Paris, Saint-Tropez and Abu Dhabi.
One of the vital alleged sufferers — a lot of whom aren’t named within the document — mentioned they complained years previous concerning the abuse however had been warned to conserve calm as a result of Fayed’s situation and wealth.
Harrods’ wave homeowners, who are quietly settling claims from the ladies who say they had been abused Al-Fayed, have now apologized to the sufferers and mentioned they had been “utterly appalled” through the claims.
One of the most ladies alleged she used to be raped through Fayed when she used to be a teen nearest he invited her again to his Soil Lane condominium in London nearest paintings.
“I made it obvious that I didn’t want that to happen. I did not give consent. I just wanted it to be over,” she mentioned nearest the magnate allegedly began grabbing her leg.
“He raped me. Afterwards, you blame yourself. You’re there to do a job and this is your boss standing there in front of you in a dressing gown. And so even when you’re trying to get out of the situation, I’m trying not to offend him.”
3 alternative ladies additionally alleged they had been raped through him within the London condominium.
A 5th girl, who recognized herself on digicam simplest as Gemma, alleged Al-Fayed raped her at his mansion in Paris — and nearest made her disinfect herself afterwards.
“Obviously he wanted me to erase any trace of him being anywhere near me,” the lady, who labored as his non-public colleague, mentioned.
Al-Fayed, who took over Harrods in 1985 ahead of promoting it off in 2010, used to be strike with repeated allegations of sexual harassment through the years.
Prosecutors declined to fee Al-Fayed in 2009 when a 15-year-old woman alleged he had sexually assaulted her at Harrods. He used to be additionally investigated in 2015, however by no means charged, over an alleged rape that passed off at his Soil Lane condominium nearest a role interview.
Most of the ladies mentioned they got here ahead for the BBC documentary nearest eye how undoubtedly the billionaire used to be portrayed within the untouched season of Netflix’s “The Crown,” which documented his son’s romantic courting with Princess Diana.
“We are utterly appalled by the allegations of abuse perpetrated by Mohamed Al-Fayed,” a Harrods’ spokesperson mentioned in shiny of the documentary.
“These were the actions of an individual who was intent on abusing his power wherever he operated and we condemn them in the strongest terms. We also acknowledge that during this time as a business we failed our employees who were his victims and for this we sincerely apologize.”
“The Harrods of today is a very different organization 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,” the spokesperson endured.
“Because of this, since pristine data got here to shiny in 2023 about historical allegations of sexual abuse through Al Fayed, it’s been our precedence to decide claims within the fastest approach conceivable, warding off long felony court cases for the ladies concerned. This procedure remains to be to be had for any wave or former Harrods staff.
“While we cannot undo the past, we have been determined to do the right thing as an organization, driven by the values we hold today, while ensuring that such behavior can never be repeated in the future.”
