Over 400 alleged victims of ex-Harrods boss Al Fayed come forward

Over 400 alleged victims of ex-Harrods boss Al Fayed come forward


Egyptian businessman and Ritz hotel owner Mohammed Al Fayed poses with staff at his hotel in Paris, Monday, June 27, 2016.

Egyptian businessman and Ritz hotel owner Mohammed Al Fayed poses with staff at his hotel in Paris, Monday, June 27, 2016. Photo Credit: AP

More than 400 alleged victims have so far contacted the legal team working on the case against Late Egyptian billionaire Mohammed Al Fayedwhich has been Allegations of sexual abuse and rapelawyer Dean Armstrong said on Thursday (October 31, 2024).

In September a BBC documentary revealed that Al Fayed, who died last year aged 94, sexually abused female staff at his London department store Harrods, forcing them to undergo medical screenings and complaining Threatened with consequences if he tried to do so.

“Unfortunately, the widespread level of abuses committed by Al Fayed and supported by those around him continues to grow,” Mr Armstrong told a news conference in London.

Al Fayed always denied similar allegations made by other reports before his death. Harrods did not immediately respond reuters Request for comment regarding attorney’s comments.

The store has apologised, saying it is “shocked” by the allegations, and has launched a process for any current or former Harrods employee who wishes to claim compensation.

Another lawyer, Bruce Drummond, said more than 400 claims had been made by women from around the world, mostly from Britain but also from the United States, Australia, Malaysia, Spain, South Africa and other countries.

“This is, in our opinion, abuse on an industrial scale,” Mr Drummond said, adding that the abuse occurred “within the walls of Harrods” but also at other locations linked to Al Fayed’s business empire, such as Fulham Football Club, the Ritz. His property in Paris and Surrey.

The victims also included the daughter of a former US ambassador to Britain and the daughter of a famous football player, Mr Drummond said, without naming any names.

The BBC documentary states that Harrods failed to intervene and helped conceal allegations of abuse during its ownership.

Lawyers have criticized the compensation scheme run by Harrods, saying that some victims do not feel comfortable approaching Harrods directly for compensation because this is where the abuse originated.

Mr Drummond said some senior staff from the Al Fayed era still work at Harrods.

financial Times Last week it was reported that four alleged victims had left Harrods’ compensation scheme over their concerns over potential conflicts of interest and poor communication.

Several media organizations had made allegations of sexual abuse against Al Fayed before the BBC documentary, including Vanity Fair in 1995, ITV in 1997, and Channel 4 in 2017. Lawyers said many women only felt able to speak publicly in September following the BBC report. After his death last year.



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