Harrods is conducting an internal review to determine whether any current employees were involved in the allegations levied against the retailer’s former owner, the late Mohamed Al Fayed. One former Harrods staff member, who goes by the name of Jessica, has alleged that a manager, who is still a Harrods employee, failed to act on her claims of sexual harassment by Fayed in 2008 when she was 22. Jessica accuses Fayed of pushing her against a wall and sexually assaulting her.
Harrods says it is in direct communication with the Metropolitan Police and there is an ongoing internal review. Many women, former Harrods employees, have come forward to accuse Fayed of multiple rapes and sexual assaults. They remained silent for years, fearing retribution. They made their claims in the BBC documentary and podcast ‘Al-Fayed: Predator at Harrods’, where dozens more women contacted the network in wake of the program.
Jessica went to HR to complain and resign after being sexually assaulted. She had accused Fayed of inappropriate behaviour, including giving her large sums of money but did not detail the sexual assault that took place in the meeting. She felt threatened and forced to sign a so-called non-disclosure agreement document by several people in the room. She said she left the meeting unclear whether the individuals in the meeting recognised the sexual element of her complaint. She believes one of the individuals still works at Harrods in a senior position.
Jessica, who is considering filing legal action, stated that she had never disclosed her story before until the last week when the BBC documentary aired about Fayed’s predatory and inappropriate behaviour. She called for the people who abetted Fayed in his actions to justice quickly. In separate claims, Jessica alleges another manager at the retailer cherry-picked young girls for Fayed and facilitated his predatory behaviour. She claimed the female manager “pimped” for her and organised for them to meet.
Harrods’ current owners found the allegations against Fayed horrendous and are already seeking to settle claims “in the quickest way possible” after new information came to light in 2023. However, when BBC News approached Harrods with Jessica’s story, the store agreed that they were conducting an ongoing internal review but did not say when it had started. Discussions with external counsel and personal injury litigation specialists have designed the Harrods settlement process. Furthermore, the Harrods board has created a non-executive panel to investigate the allegations. Also, Harrods and the Metropolitan Police remained in contact to provide all possible help to investigations they may conduct
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