Police are investigating 40 new allegations against Mohamed al-Fayed and others since the broadcast of a BBC documentary.
The Metropolitan Police said the claims, relating to 40 alleged victims, include sexual assault and rape between 1979 and 2013, and are in addition to 21 allegations the force was aware of prior to the broadcast last month.
Commander Stephen Clayman said: “Since the broadcast of the documentary and our recent appeal, detectives have received numerous pieces of information, predominantly relating to the activities of Mohamed al-Fayed but some relating to the actions of others.
“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.”
Mr Clayman added: “While the majority of information we have received relates to Fayed’s ownership of Harrods, we are contacting representatives of other organisations linked to Fayed to ensure anyone affected is identified and has the opportunity to speak with us.”
The Egyptian tycoon, who died aged 94 in August 2023, also owned Fulham FC between 1997 and 2013.
In a BBC investigation, the details of which were revealed late last month, the broadcaster spoke to more than 20 women who alleged sexual assault and physical violence against female Harrods staff in the late billionaire’s properties in London and Paris.
Five, including a woman who was a teenager at the time, say they were raped by him.
Fayed was previously accused, when he was alive, of groping and sexually assaulting female employees, including a rape allegation which was investigated by police in 2015 but ultimately did not lead to any charges.
According to the BBC documentary, four women had said Fayed raped them at a private residence in London, with 13 other women saying they were sexually assaulted by him at the same location.
It was alleged that he would offer apartments at the residence, in Mayfair’s 60 Park Lane, to female staff who had been working late.
Some of the worst alleged attacks took place in Paris, many at Fayed’s Villa Windsor residence, the BBC reported. Nine women say they were sexually assaulted at his homes in the French capital, with five describing the assault as attempted rape and one saying she was raped.
After the BBC documentary was broadcast, another ex-Harrods staff member came forward to share her experiences of working with Fayed.
The woman, a former member of the luxury department store’s management team, who wanted to remain anonymous, told Sky News that Fayed “controlled everything with fear”, alleging that he would carry viagra in his pocket and “cherry pick” female staff from the shop floor.
The BBC’s Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods documentary and the World of Secrets podcast said Harrods failed to intervene and helped cover up the women’s allegations.
Harrods has said in response that “as a business we failed our employees who were his victims and for this we sincerely apologise.”
The store expressed regret but did not admit liability, according to the BBC report.
From July 2023, Harrods began settling claims with women who alleged sexual abuse by Fayed, including sexual assault and rape.
One woman went to the police in 2018 and made a video statement at the police station, saying she was told that Fayed – who had dementia – was too old to be prosecuted and that he was not in the right state of mind.
She then engaged a lawyer who spoke to Harrods. Just before Fayed died, she reportedly received a letter saying she would be compensated.
Harrods began settling claims with most of the women the BBC spoke to in the following months, it is reported.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
