More than 250 women have made compensation claims against former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed, according to the department store. The claims were made after the airing of a BBC documentary which uncovered allegations of historic sexual abuse by Al Fayed. Harrods has previously confirmed settling a number of claims. Al Fayed, who died aged 94 last year, is also the subject of a legal case being brought forward by several different law firms.
The documentary claimed that Harrods not only failed to intervene in the abuse but also helped to cover up the allegations during Al Fayed’s ownership. Responding to the controversy, Harrods’ current owners apologised to Al Fayed’s alleged victims and stated they were “utterly appalled” by the allegations. A Justice for Harrods Survivors group has been formed to represent the accusers and their claim that Al Fayed committed multiple counts of attempted rape and rape against them.
Al Fayed owned Harrods from 1985 until 2010, as well as the Ritz Paris hotel and football team Fulham FC. During his lifetime, he had links to senior figures in Parliament and was friendly with members of royalty and entertainers alike. The BBC documentary interviewed over 20 female ex-employees at Harrods during its investigation into the allegations against Al Fayed.
Harrods has announced that it has a compensation scheme for former employees who allege being attacked by Al Fayed. The company stated that this scheme is separate from the current legal case. The new owners of Harrods have been conducting an internal review since last year to examine whether any current staff was involved in the alleged sexual abuse. Harrods has declined to comment on the review, stating it will not provide a “running commentary”
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