Late Harrods Owner Mohamed Al Fayed Accused of Sexual Assault; Labelled a ‘Monster’ and Compared to Savile and Epstein

Lawyers representing women who accuse the late Mohamed Al Fayed, former owner of Harrods, of sexual assault have described him as “a monster” and likened his actions to those of Jimmy Savile, Jeffrey Epstein, and Harvey Weinstein.

Five women have publicly alleged that Al Fayed raped them. At the same time,  more than 20 former employees have claimed they were sexually assaulted either at the iconic department store or in Al Fayed’s various properties.

Speaking at a press conference in London, barrister Dean Armstrong KC said the case was among the worst he had encountered in his career.

“This case combines some of the most horrific elements from the cases of Savile, Epstein, and Weinstein,” Armstrong said. “With Savile, the institution, we say, knew about the behaviour. With Epstein, there was a procurement system in place to source the women and girls. And like Weinstein, this involved a person at the top of an organisation abusing his power.”

 

Armstrong called Al Fayed “a monster” and condemned his alleged actions as a gross abuse of power and position.

One of the accusers said Al Fayed raped her at his Park Lane home, explaining, “I made it evident that I didn’t want that to happen. I did not give consent.

I just wanted it to be over.” Another woman claimed she was a teenager when Al Fayed raped her at his Mayfair address. She accused him of treating Harrods staff as his personal “playthings” and creating a culture of fear.

“Mohamed Al Fayed was a monster, a sexual predator with no moral compass whatsoever,” she said. “We were all so scared.

He actively cultivated fear. If he said ‘jump,’ employees would ask ‘how high.’”

The current owners of Harrods have expressed their shock and apologised to the women who have come forward. They condemned Al Fayed’s actions and acknowledged that the business had failed its employees during his ownership.

One woman claimed that after resigning from Harrods over sexual harassment and alleged rape by Al Fayed, the company offered her a sum of money on the condition that she destroy all evidence and sign a non-disclosure agreement.

In a statement, Harrods said: “We are utterly appalled by the allegations of abuse perpetrated by Mohamed Al Fayed.

These were the actions of an individual 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.”

Harrods emphasisedthat the company today is vastly different from the one Al Fayed ran between 1985 and 2010, highlighting that employee welfare is now a priority. “While we cannot undo the past, we are determined to do the right thing as an organisation, driven by the values we hold today, and ensure such behaviour can never be repeated,” the company added.

The allegations against Al Fayed add to the legacy of accusations faced by other influential figures, casting a shadow over his long tenure as owner of one of London’s most.