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

Harrods apologizes for "industrial scale abuse" by Al Fayed, denied accusations, and offers compensation to victims.

More than 400 alleged victims have so far contacted the legal team working on a case against the late Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al Fayed, who has been accused of sexual abuse and rape, lawyer Dean Armstrong said on Thursday (October 31, 2024).

A BBC documentary in September revealed Al Fayed, who died last year aged 94, sexually abused female staff at his London department store Harrods, forced them to have medical screenings and threatened consequences if they tried to complain.

"The sheer scale of abuse perpetrated by Al Fayed, and facilitated by those around him, sadly, continues to grow," Mr. Armstrong told a news conference in London.

Al Fayed always denied similar accusations raised by other reports before his death. Harrods did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment about the lawyer's comments.

The store has apologised, said it was "appalled" by the allegations, and launched a process for any current or former Harrods employees who wish to claim compensation.

Another lawyer, Bruce Drummond, said the more than 400 claims have 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.

"That, in our opinion, is an industrial scale abuse," Mr. Drummond said, adding abuse took place "within the walls of Harrods" but also in other locations linked to Al Fayed's business empire, such as Fulham Football Club, the Ritz Paris and his estate in Surrey.