Lawyers representing the former Harrods employees who claim they were raped and sexually assaulted by late billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed have described him as ‘a monster’ as they laid bare today his ‘vast web of abuse’.
It comes as multiple women came forward to claim the late Egyptian businessman sexually abused them in the Knightsbridge store and at his luxury properties in the UK and on foreign trips abroad.
So horrific was the alleged abuse suffered at the hands of Al-Fayed, lawyers representing his victims have compared him to sexual predators Jimmy Savile and Jeffrey Epstein.
Five women have said they were raped by the Harrods tycoon, who died last year aged 94, and a further 20 female employees allege he sexually assaulted them.
But lawyers today warned the true extent of Al-Fayed’s alleged offending could go further, ‘with victims all over the world’ – with investigations now taking place into other businesses owned by Al-Fayed, such as Fulham Football Club.
It comes as it was last night revealed:
Late billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed has been described as ‘a monster’ amid claims he raped multiple women working for him at Harrods
Al-Fayed was compared to sexual predators Jimmy Savile (left) and Jeffrey Epstein (right).
Pictured is one of Al-Fayed’s alleged victims, who went by the name Natacha (right) hugging one of her lawyers at the press conference
Further claims were levelled at Harrods today, including a laims Harrods was plagued by a ‘toxic’ culture under Al-Fayed’s 25 years in charge, as the wealthy businessman ‘preyed upon… his own employees for his own sexual gratification’ and tried to ‘silence’ his vulnerable victims.
Barrister Dean Armstrong KC told the press conference the case of Al-Fayed ‘combines some of the most horrific elements of the cases involving Jimmy Savile, Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein‘.
He said: ‘I have many years of practice… I have never seen a case as horrific as this.
‘This case combines some of the most horrific elements of the cases involving Jimmy Savile, Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein.
‘Savile because in this case, as in that, the institution, we say, knew about the behaviour.
‘Epstein because in that case, as in this, there was a procurement system in place to source the women and girls – as you know there are some very young victims.
‘And Weinstein, because it was a person at the very top of the organisation who was abusing his power.
‘We will say plainly, Mohamed Al-Fayed was a monster.’
Speaking to reporters from across the global press, barrister Bruce Drummond added: ‘This is one of the worse cases of sexual exploitation that I and perhaps the world has ever seen.
‘It was horrific, just horrific. It’s horrific because of the acts carried out on these women and girls.
‘It was horrific because it was the system that procured them, enabling the abuse of these young women and its horrific, because the effect this sexual abuse and of Harrods’ institutional betrayal have had on our clients.’
It comes as one of Al Fayed’s alleged victims told the press conference how the billionaire businessman was ‘highly manipulative’ and left her ‘petrified’ as he abused her.
In chilling testimony, the woman – known as only Natacha – said joining Harrods was like ‘walking into a lion’s den’ and said Al-Fayed ‘preyed on the most vulnerable’.
One of Mohamed Al-Fayed’s alleged victims, who went by the name Natacha (pictured), told the press conference the billionaire businessman was ‘highly manipulative’.
Barrister Bruce Durmmond (left) and Dean Armstrong KC, who represented the female former employees of Harrods
The BBC documentary says the Egyptian-born businessman – who died in London aged 94 last August – carried out the attacks while Harrods boss between 1984 and its sale in 2010
Branding Al-Fayed a ‘sick predator’, she said: ‘Mohamed was clever and highly manipulative.
Speaking about the alleged abuse she suffered at the hands of Al-Fayed, Natacha continued: ‘Mohamed Al-Fayed, a sick predator, lured me in by using the same modus operandi he used time and time again.
‘I was subjected to Aids and STD testing without consent, and now believe in hindsight, I was checked for my purity.’
Speaking about what happened in meetings with Al-Fayed, Natacha said: ‘These private meetings turned into more of a forced kiss, his hands gripping your face to his lips or pulling you down on his lap, where his hands were free to explore any part of your body that he wished.
‘These incidents lasted seconds, but the fear instilled left me paralysed.
‘Al-Fayed brushed off these moments like they had never happened, but I was always reminded not to mention them to anyone.’
Mr Armstrong KC said it is time Harrods ‘took responsibility’ and ‘set matters right’.
He told the press conference: ‘We are here to say publicly and to the world, or to Harrods in front of the world, that it is time that they took responsibility, and it is time that they set matters right, and that is something they should do as soon as possible.
‘They need to face up to accept the responsibility, that they have full culpability for the abuse that these women suffered.
‘Today, we are going to set out our claim and how our claim shows an abject failure of corporate responsibility and a failure to provide a safe system of work.’
During the press conference, barrister Maria Mulla told how female workers were tormented and threatened by the billionaire alleged sex pest.
Dean Armstrong KC, who featured in ‘Al-Fayed: Predator at Harrods’ speaks during a press conference to discuss the involvement of the legal team in the investigation and the legal claim against Harrods
Natacha, who says she was sexually abused by Al-Fayed, described him as a ‘monster’
Gemma, who worked for Fayed between 2007 and 2009, is among those accusing him and featured in a BBC documentary on Thursday evening
Women would often have to ‘speak in some kind of code’ and if female workers ever complained they would ‘receive threats along the lines of you will never work in London again’, the barrister said as she laid bare the horrifying accusations.
Describing the threats, Ms Mulla said staff were told ‘I know where you and your family live’ by security officials allegedly working for Al-Fayed.
‘Often they would be demoted and false allegations made about them so they would have no choice but to leave Harrods,’ she added.
‘Threats were also made about police action by the security team.’
One woman who had the ‘courage and bravery’ to report her sexual assault in a written complaint was threatened hours later.
‘One woman we rep was sexually assaulted and she had the bravery and courage to raise this in a formal written complaint to Harrods.
‘On the same day the head of security, John Macnamara said, ‘you are a girl alone in London, someone could jump out the bushes at you or you could have a sudden accident,’ Ms Mulla said.
‘She of course did what she was told because she was absolutely petrified.’
Another woman tried to resign to ‘get away from it’, Ms Mulla added, claiming the victim had also been threatened.
US lawyer Gloria Allred told the press conference Harrods was a ‘toxic, unsafe and abusive environment’ under the chairmanship of Mohamed Al-Fayed.
She said: ‘The allegations against Mohamed Al-Fayed include serial rape, attempted rape, sexual battery, and sexual abuse of minors. They involved doctors administering invasive gynaecological exams as a condition of employment for some of the employees who were targeted by Mohamed Al-Fayed for sexual abuse.
‘The allegations also include the unauthorised disclosure to Mohamed Al-Fayed of the examination results of employees he targeted for sexual abuse.
‘The allegations involve cover-ups, threats and a quarter of a century of sexual abuse by Mohamed Al-Fayed after he purchased Harrods and became its chairman.
One of Mr Al-Fayed’s accusers, Natacha (right), no surname given, who featured in ‘Al-Fayed: Predator at Harrods’ is reassured by American Attorney Gloria Allred after speaking during a press conference
Some of Fayed’s assaults are said to have been carried out at his Park Lane property in London
Harrods (pictured) was an alleged hunting ground for Al-Fayed who targeted ‘vulnerable’ women before sexually assaulting them
‘Harrods is often referred to as the most beautiful store in the world… many women dreamed of working there, to be associated with this prestigious corporation and to further their careers.
‘However, underneath the Harrods glitz and glamour was a toxic, unsafe and abusive environment.’
And in a bombshell statement, lawyers claimed that further probes had been launched into potential crimes by the retail tycoon at other places he was linked to.
Questioned on whether employees at other businesses owned by Al-Fayed, such as Fulham Football Club, were also allegedly subject to sexual abuse, barrister Maria Mulla said: ‘Yes, we are aware of allegations that have been made at other places of work.
‘We also represent women who were employed by the Ritz.
‘We don’t at this stage represent any women who, for instance, sustained attacks at Fulham Football Club.
‘But our investigations are obviously ongoing into all these entities that he had an involvement in.’
She said investigations so far had revealed a ‘startling’ number of women from Harrods involved in the alleged abuse by the Egyptian.
‘It’s highly unlikely that there are not victims out there from these other places of work – wherever he went, there will be victims,’ the lawyer told reporters.
Barrister Dean Armstrong KC told the press conference ‘this is and was a systematic failure of corporate responsibility’.
‘And that systematic failure is on the shoulders of Harrods,’ he said.
He added that compensation from Harrods for women who have claimed sexual abuse against Mohamed Al-Fayed would be ‘welcome’.
If Harrods feel that they ought to compensate women financially for what they’ve done and how they failed them, then of course that is something which we would welcome,’ he told the conference.
‘But we are not going to sit here and accept any suggestion that we are only interested in money.
‘This is about much, much, much more.’
Asked about the global scope of the case, barrister Bruce Drummond told the news conference the ‘scope of this case is vast’ and listed countries were Mohamed Al-Fayed’s accusers are from.
He said some of the women are from Malaysia, Australia, Italy, Romania, the US and Canada.
The revelation comes as the boss of Harrods apologised for the firm ‘failing’ its employees after sex abuse allegations against late owner Al-Fayed, a leaked memo reveals.
Managing director Michael Ward has written to staff as a BBC investigation revealed five female ex-employees accused Fayed of raping them – admitting that Harrods ‘failed our employees who were his victims and for this we sincerely apologise’.
Mr Ward has told current staff in his internal message they would receive ‘the support you need during this incredibly difficult time’, as he described Fayed as ‘abusing his power wherever he operated’.
Some of those involved claim they were coerced into undergoing invasive medical exams in which they were tested for sexually transmitted diseases, with the results being sent directly to Al-Fayed himself.
Harrowing details of the accusations, including vivid descriptions of the alleged rapes by the women, were shown on a new programme called Al-Fayed: Predator at Harrods – along with claims the firm itself not only failed to intervene to help the alleged victims but also covered up their claims.
Bruce Drummond, a barrister representing some of the former employees, said: ‘The spider’s web of corruption and abuse in this company was unbelievable and very dark.
‘Any place of work has a duty to ensure the safety of its employees. Without question, the company failed these ladies.
‘That’s why we step in. Because they just did nothing to actually prevent this. They did the opposite. They enabled it.’
Former Harrods owner Mohamed Al-Fayed has been accused of sexual assault by multiple women including one, Gemma, who worked as his personal assistant between 2007 and 2009
The BBC documentary says the Egyptian-born businessman – who died in London aged 94 last August – carried out the attacks while Harrods boss between 1984 and its sale in 2010
The corporation says more than 20 female former workers at Harrods have come forward to accuse Al-Fayed (pictured) of sexual abuse
And now in his memo to staff, Mr Ward wrote: ‘You may be aware of the BBC documentary, and the accompanying podcast, concerning allegations of misconduct by Harrods’ former owner and Chairman, the late Mohamed Al-Fayed during his period of ownership of Harrods from 1985 to 2010.
‘We know that the content and detail outlined within the documentary is extremely upsetting to watch, for those in the business at the time of the alleged behaviour, and for those that have joined the business since.
‘We wanted to reach out to you directly to let you know how we have responded, and what we have been doing separately to support the victims of Al-Fayed, and ensure that you, our colleagues, have the support you need during this incredibly difficult time.
‘As our response to the BBC outlined, we are utterly appalled by the allegations of abuse perpetrated by Mohamed Al-Fayed. 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 apologise.
‘The Harrods of today is a very different organisation to the one owned and controlled by Al-Fayed between 1985 and 2010. This is why, since new information came to light in 2023 about historic allegations of sexual abuse by Al-Fayed, it has been our priority to settle claims in the quickest way possible, avoiding lengthy legal proceedings for the women involved.
‘This process is still available for any current or former Harrods colleagues. While we cannot undo the past, we have been determined to do the right thing as an organisation, driven by the values we hold today.’
He urged anyone affected and still working at Harrods to contact its human resources department, while also sharing contact details for help services including confidential helplines and sexual harassment support officers.
Mr Ward added: ‘This is an extremely difficult time for us as a business. My ask is that you continue to look out for your teams and yourselves, and seek the support you require from colleagues and from the business.
‘My final point is that this is an issue of extreme sensitivity to many. I ask that you treat this issue with the compassion and sensitivity that it warrants, both inside the business and in your personal lives.’
The alleged attacks are said to have happened not only in London including at his Mayfair flat in the capital but also in Paris, at the Ritz hotel which he owned, and St Tropez in France as well as Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
One of his alleged victims, Gemma, who worked for Al-Fayed as a personal assistant between 2007 and 2009, says his behaviour would turn more frightening during work trips abroad
She says he raped her at Villa Windsor in Paris’s Bois de Boulogne, a former home of post-abdication King Edward VIII and his wife Wallis Simpson
Gemma described her former boss Fayed to the new BBC investigation as ‘a serial rapist’
Rachel, not her real name, told the BBC she was raped after staying at one of Mr Al-Fayed’s apartments after a late shift at work.
She said: ‘I made it obvious that I didn’t want that to happen. I did not give consent. I just wanted it to be over.
‘I remember feeling his body on me, the weight of him. Just hearing him make these noises. And just going somewhere else in my head.’
Another woman told of being raped at the Mayfair address as a teenager, describing staff at Harrods as being treated as his ‘playthings’.
She said: ‘Mohamed Al-Fayed was a monster, a sexual predator with no moral compass whatsoever.
‘We were all so scared. He actively cultivated fear. If he said ‘jump’, employees would ask, “How high?”‘
One of his alleged victims was named as Gemma, who worked for Al-Fayed as a personal assistant between 2007 and 2009 – and tells how his behaviour would turn more scary during work trips abroad.
She says he raped her at Villa Windsor in Paris’s Bois de Boulogne, a former home of post-abdication King Edward VIII and his wife Wallis Simpson.
Mohamed Al-Fayed, former owner of Harrods and Fulham FC, is pictured here in 2018
Mohamed Al-Fayed pictured alongside Diana, Princess of Wales, at a charity event held at Harrods in London in 1996
She described waking up to find him attempting to get into bed with her, adding: ‘I told him, ‘No, I don’t want you to’.
‘And he proceeded to just keep trying to get in the bed, at which point he was kind of on top of me and [I] really couldn’t move anywhere.
‘I was kind of face down on the bed and he just pressed himself on me.’ She added: ‘I think Mohamed Al-Fayed is a rapist – he is a serial rapist.’
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme yesterday, Gemma said she ‘didn’t feel safe’ around Al-Fayed after the attack and said she ‘would have been too frightened’ to get justice while the tycoon was alive.
She claimed Mr Al-Fayed started sexually harassing her ‘immediately’ after she started her role at his charitable foundation, by making sexual remarks and groping her.
She told the Today programme that Mr Al-Fayed tried to come into her room on multiple work trips and spoke of locking herself in rooms and bathrooms and ignoring him when he would come to her door.
This was then followed by the alleged rape during a work trip to Paris.
Gemma said he directed her to clean herself afterwards, adding: ‘Looking back now I’m older, more mature, I realise that that was probably to cover up anything, any kind of evidence, anything that would have left his trace on me.’
She said she felt ‘terrified’ afterwards.
‘In Paris, there were security guards patrolling the house, there were security guards outside the house, we were locked in a gated property, we’d been escorted there that day by the police, so I felt like I couldn’t even go to the police, even if I could make my way out of the property,’ she told Radio 4.
‘I couldn’t even contemplate leaving the country because he had my passport, so my only way to leave was with him back on that private jet back to London.’
