Police investigate 40 new allegations against Mohamed al-Fayed
New complaints against ex-Harrods owner include claims of rape and sexual assault, detectives say
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Police are investigating 40 new allegations against Mohamed al-Fayed after a BBC documentary aired claims of decades of rape and abuse by the former Harrods owner against female employees.
The Metropolitan Police said the new claims include allegations of rape and sexual assault between 1979 and 2013, and are in addition to 21 allegations the force had been made aware of before the BBC documentary was broadcast.
Fayed is accused of widespread sexual abuse of his - often young - female employees across his many enterprises, including Harrods, Fulham Football Club, and The Ritz.
Commander Stephen Clayman police had received information “predominantly relating to the activities of Mohamed al-Fayed but some relating to the actions of others”.
He added: “This has led to us record 40 new allegations, relating to 40 victim-survivors and covering offences including sexual assault and rape across a time period between 1979 and 2013. These are in addition to allegations we were aware of prior to the broadcast.
“While the majority of information we have received relates to al-Fayed’s ownership of Harrods, we are contacting representatives of other organisations linked to al-Fayed to ensure anyone affected is identified and has the opportunity to speak with us.”
The legal team representing survivors of Fayed said this morning that they are representing 116 women from around the world and fielded over 200 further enquiries, with more arriving daily.
Most of these claims relate to Harrods, while some relate to his other businesses, and alleged actions at his residences in Park Lane and Oxted.
“Speaking with these women is harrowing. Many have suffered unspeakable abuse. Most of them went to Harrods to take up dream jobs only to then experience the nightmare of working for a man whose appetites were aided, enabled, and abetted by other Harrods staff who were part of a pervasive, Harrods-wide system of abuse,” the team said in a statement.
In the BBC documentary Al-Fayed: Predator at Harrods, five women alleged they had been raped by Fayed, who died last year at the age of 94. Victims as young as 15 and 16 from the US, Canada, Malaysia, Australia, Italy and Romania fell victim to Fayed in locations including London, Paris, Abu Dhabi and St Tropez, it is claimed.
Dean Armstrong KC, one of the lawyers representing the women, told reporters last month that he had “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,” he told reporters. “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.”
In a statement, Harrods said it is “appalled by the allegations of abuse”, saying that they 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 his victims were failed, and for this we sincerely apologise. We are doing everything we can to fix this,” the statement added.
A Fulham FC spokesperson said: “We are deeply troubled and concerned to learn of the disturbing reports following yesterday’s documentary. We have sincere empathy for the women who have shared their experiences.
“We are in the process of establishing whether anyone at the club is or has been affected. Should any person wish to share information or experiences relating to these allegations, we encourage them to contact the club at safeguarding@fulhamfc.com or the police.”
A spokesperson for the Ritz Paris said: “The Ritz Paris strongly condemns any form of behaviour that does not align with the values of the establishment.
“The hotel upholds the highest standards of professionalism and has a steadfast commitment to fostering an environment where employees and guests are treated with respect and integrity.
“The safety and wellbeing of our employees and guests are our absolute priority.”