Harrods acknowledges, condemns sexual abuse allegations against former owner Mohamed Al-Fayed

London department store Harrods expressed its outrage on Thursday regarding serious allegations of sexual abuse against its former owner, the late Mohamed Al-Fayed.

Fayed, who passed away last year at the age of 94, has been accused of multiple incidents of misconduct, with one accuser reporting an assault that occurred when she was just 15 years old and Fayed was 79.

The store stated it is “utterly appalled” by claims made by over 20 former female employees who have accused Fayed of sexual assault, including instances of rape, as revealed in a comprehensive BBC investigation.

The alleged assaults reportedly took place in various locations, including Fayed’s luxury apartment in London, the Ritz Hotel in Paris—which he owned—and a villa in Paris known as Villa Windsor, once home to the Duke of Windsor and his wife.

In the investigation, numerous women recounted being invited to Fayed's apartment after finishing late shifts at Harrods.

They described being offered accommodation under the pretense of safety, only to find themselves summoned to Fayed’s apartment, where he would attempt to initiate unwanted physical advances.

In light of these accusations, Harrods acknowledged that Fayed “was intent on abusing his power wherever he operated.”

Among the accounts, thirteen women stated they were sexually assaulted in Fayed’s apartment building, including four who alleged they were raped.

One woman, identified as Sophia, detailed her experience of being pursued by Fayed after accepting a position in his office.

She recounted a terrifying encounter where Fayed forcibly advanced on her in his London apartment.

“I’m strong, and I started kicking him,” Sophia recounted. “I thought, ‘he’s going to rape me.’ It was a horrible nightmare.”

Many former employees noted a troubling culture surrounding Fayed's behavior at Harrods.

A woman using the pseudonym Alice reflected on the collective fear among her colleagues, stating they would often watch one another go through the door to his office, feeling powerless to intervene.

Another woman, who was only 15 when she was allegedly assaulted by Fayed in Harrods’ boardroom in 2008, reported the incident to police, but no charges were filed.

Fayed denied these allegations at the time.

Former employees described Fayed’s treatment of women as common knowledge within the department store, with one former manager, Tony Leeming, stating, “It wasn’t even a secret.”

He recalled that discussions about his behavior often turned into jokes among staff, highlighting a troubling atmosphere of complicity.

In response to the allegations, Harrods issued a statement apologizing to the victims and emphasizing that the organization has changed significantly since Fayed’s ownership from 1985.