A BBC investigation has revealed harrowing allegations against the late billionaire Mohamed Al Fayed, with more than 20 former female employees accusing the former Harrods owner of sexual assault and rape.
The documentary and podcast titled Al-Fayed: Predator at Harrods presents evidence of a systemic culture of abuse and corruption at the luxury department store. According to the report, the company not only failed to protect its staff but also helped cover up the billionaire’s predatory behavior during his ownership.
At least five women have explicitly accused Fayed of rape, describing a “dark web” of abuse that spanned several decades and multiple international locations, including London, Paris, and Abu Dhabi.
The testimonies describe a consistent pattern where Fayed would select young, attractive sales assistants from the shop floor and promote them to his private offices, where the assaults often occurred. Survivors described Fayed as a “monster” who used his immense power to cultivate an atmosphere of fear, making it nearly impossible for victims to speak out or leave their positions.
Many of these assaults reportedly took place at his Park Lane apartment in London or his international properties, such as the Ritz Hotel and Villa Windsor in Paris. One woman detailed a particularly distressing account of being raped at the Paris villa and then being ordered to wash with disinfectant to remove any trace of the encounter.
Harrods’ current management has issued a formal apology, stating they are utterly appalled by the findings and acknowledging that the institution failed the victims during Fayed’s tenure. While Fayed faced some accusations before his death last year at the age of 94, the scale of the current allegations is unprecedented.
Legal representatives for the women suggest that the company’s internal structure was complicit in the abuse, as security and office staff were often present at the locations where these crimes were committed. Since the initial report, even more former employees have contacted investigators to share similar accounts of misconduct.
