The allegations were detailed in a BBC documentary entitled 'Al-Fayed: Predator at Harrods'.
Former Harrods boss Mohamed Al-Fayed, whose son Emad El-Din “Dodi” Mohamed Fayed died in a car crash in Paris in 1997 along with Princess Diana, has been accused of multiple rapes. According to The BBCFive women have alleged they were raped by the billionaire, who died last year aged 94, while working at luxury London department store Harrods, which Al-Fayed owned from 1985 to 2010. The outlet revealed it had heard testimonies from more than 20 former female staff members who allege the billionaire businessman sexually abused them, with the incidents reportedly taking place in London, St Tropez, Abu Dhabi and Paris.
The allegations were outlined in a BBC documentary, titled 'Al-Fayed: Predator at Harrods'The documentary revealed that Harrods, when Fayed was the owner, not only failed to intervene but also helped cover up allegations of abuse.
The current owners of Harrods said in a statement that they were “utterly shocked” by the allegations and that the victims had been let down. The store apologised for this.
“These were the actions of an individual who intended to abuse his power wherever he operated and we condemn them in the strongest possible terms,” the statement said. “We also recognize that as a company we failed our employees who were his victims at this time and for this we sincerely apologize,” it added.
According to The BBCa woman alleged the billionaire raped her in his London apartment. “I made it clear I didn't want this to happen. I didn't consent. I just wanted it to be over,” she told the outlet.
Another woman alleged she was raped as a teenager in the Mayfair apartment. “We were all scared. He actively instilled fear,” she said. “If he said 'jump,' employees would ask 'how high.'”
A woman named Sophia, who worked as Fayed's personal assistant from 1988 to 1991, says the billionaire tried to rape her more than once. “I couldn't leave. I had no [family] home to go back to, I had to pay rent,” she said. “I knew I had to go through this and I didn't want to. It was horrible and my head was in chaos,” she added.
Another personal assistant, Gemma, who worked for Fayed from 2007 to 2009, alleged that he raped her at the Villa Windsor in Paris, a former home of King Edward VIII and his wife Wallis Simpson. She said that as part of the agreement to leave her job, she was required to shred all evidence and sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) in exchange for a sum of money. Ms Gemma told the outlet that a shredding truck came to her lawyer’s office and that a member of Harrods HR was present.
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Tony Leeming, a former Harrods department manager of 10 years, said he was aware of abuse of women in the workplace but claimed he was not aware of allegations of sexual assault or rape. Mr Leeming's testimony is supported by former members of Fayed's security team.
“We knew he had a strong interest in young girls,” said Eamon Coyle, who joined Harrods as a detective in 1979 and was then deputy director of security from 1989 to 1995.
Many women told the BBC that when they went to work directly for Fayed, they underwent medical exams — including invasive sexual health tests performed by doctors. The outlet also reported that the billionaire faced a number of sexual abuse claims in 1997, 2008 and 2017 before his death.
Of the women the outlet spoke to for its research, a total of 14 have filed civil claims against Harrods for damages, with the department store’s current owners set to begin settling these in July 2023, the outlet said.
Interestingly, Fayed, born in Egypt, moved to the UK in 1974 and was already a well-known public figure when he took over the reins of Harrods in 1985. His son Dodi died in a car crash with Princess Diana in 1997. He has become known to a new generation through the two most recent Netflix series 'The Crown'.
