September 19th 2024.
Mohamed Al Fayed, the former boss of Harrods, has been accused by five women of sexually assaulting them while they worked at the luxurious department store. Shockingly, more than 20 ex-employees have come forward with similar allegations against the billionaire, who passed away last year at the age of 94. These incidents are said to have taken place in various locations, including London, Paris, St Tropez, and Abu Dhabi.
One woman, who claims to have been raped by Al Fayed at his Park Lane home, shared her harrowing experience. She stated, "I made it clear that I did not want that to happen. I did not give my consent. I just wanted it to be over." Another woman, who was a teenager at the time, also says she was raped by Al Fayed at a Mayfair address. She described how he treated the staff at Harrods like his "playthings" and called him a "monster" and a "sexual predator."
The brave women who have come forward have accused Harrods of covering up these allegations and failing to intervene. Their lawyer, Barrister Bruce Drummon, has shed light on the "spider's web of corruption and abuse" that existed within the company. He stated, "It was unbelievable and very dark." The former employees also revealed that the store made them sign non-disclosure agreements and destroyed any evidence they had against Al Fayed.
Gemma, who worked as one of Al Fayed's personal assistants, shared her traumatic experience of being raped by him at Villa Windsor in Paris. She recalled waking up to find Al Fayed standing next to her in just a silk dressing gown, before he tried to get into bed with her. "I told him, 'no, I don't want you to'," she said. But he did not listen and proceeded to assault her while she lay face down on the bed. After the rape, he even instructed her to wash herself with Dettol to erase any evidence of his presence.
The women also revealed a pattern of behavior by Al Fayed, where he would identify young female assistants he found attractive and promote them to work in his offices upstairs. Many of these women were subjected to invasive medical tests, including sexual health tests, before they started working. Katherine, a former executive assistant, shared her discomfort with this practice and said, "There is no benefit to anyone knowing my sexual health, unless you're planning to sleep with me."
The alleged assaults would often take place in Al Fayed's London apartment or on foreign trips. One former staff member shared the fear they felt every time they were called to his apartment, knowing that they could be the next victim. Another victim revealed that she felt trapped and unable to say no, as she needed the job to pay her rent and did not have a family home to go back to.
Al Fayed, who was born in the Egyptian city of Alexandria, came to London in the 1960s and built a successful business empire. He took over Harrods in 1985 and later added the Paris Ritz and Fulham Football Club to his business portfolio. However, his relationship with the Royal Family was often strained, especially after the tragic death of his son Dodi and Princess Diana in 1997.
In recent years, Al Fayed had been accused of sexual assault and groping by multiple women. However, a police investigation in 2015 did not result in any charges. The brave women who have come forward with their stories have shed light on the dark truth of sexual abuse and cover-ups within the company. The current owners of Harrods have expressed their shock and apologized for their failure to protect these women.
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