Mohamed Al Fayed was a “monster” who was enabled by a system “facilitated” by Harrods, the lawyer representing his alleged victims has said.
Al Fayed, the former owner of Harrods, has been accused of rape and sexual assault by multiple women who worked at the London store.
In a new investigation, the BBC spoke to more than 20 women who alleged sexual assault and physical violence against female Harrods staff in the billionaire’s properties in London and Paris.
Five, including a woman who was a teenager at the time, say they were raped by Al Fayed, who died in August 2023.
Speaking at a press conference on behalf of the former Harrods staff on Friday, Dean Armstrong KC said the case of Al Fayed “combines some of the most horrific elements of the cases involving Jimmy Savile, Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein”.
“I have many years of practice… I have never seen a case as horrific as this,” he added. “This case combines some of the most horrific elements of the cases involving Jimmy Savile, Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein.
“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, Mohammed Al Fayed was a monster.”
This is a breaking news story and is being updated.
