Mohamed Al Fayed, an Egyptian billionaire businessman who as soon as owned some of the unique luxurious London department shops, has now been uncovered as a surprising serial rapist, and the shop he owned was accused of not solely failing to intervene however of serving to cowl up the abuse allegations.
The alleged incidents happened in London, Paris, St Tropez, and Abu Dhabi.
BBC reported:
“The BBC has heard testimony from greater than 20 feminine ex-employees who say the billionaire, who died final 12 months aged 94, sexually assaulted or raped them.
[…] ‘The spider’s internet of corruption and abuse on this firm was unbelievable and really darkish’, says barrister Bruce Drummond, from a authorized crew representing quite a lot of the ladies.”
[…] ‘I made it apparent that I didn’t need that to occur. I didn’t give consent. I simply needed it to be over’, says one of many girls, who says Fayed raped her at his Park Lane residence.”
One other girl says she was a youngster when he raped her and referred to as him ‘a monster, a sexual predator with no ethical compass’.
Whereas the late Fayed did face sexual assault claims whereas he was alive, these current allegations are of unprecedented scale and seriousness.
Fayed – whose son Dodi was killed in a automobile crash alongside Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997, had courted the Royal Household for years.
The BBC spoke to 13 girls who allege Fayed sexually assaulted them at 60 Park Lane, with 4 of them saying they have been raped.
“The Harrods proprietor would frequently tour the division retailer’s huge gross sales flooring and establish younger feminine assistants he discovered enticing, who would then be promoted to work in his workplaces upstairs – former workers, female and male, advised us. The assaults could be carried out in Harrods’ workplaces, in Fayed’s London residence, or on overseas journeys – typically in Paris on the Ritz lodge, which he additionally owned, or his close by Villa Windsor property.”
Fayed’s abuse of ladies was an open a secret. And all the ladies the BBC spoke to felt intimidated at work – which had made it virtually inconceivable for them to talk out.
“There have been quite a lot of makes an attempt to reveal Fayed earlier than his dying – notably by Vainness Truthful in 1995 – with an article alleging racism, workers surveillance and sexual misconduct. This sparked a libel lawsuit. Mohamed Al Fayed later agreed to drop the case so long as all of the additional proof the journal had gathered of his sexual misconduct in preparation for a trial was locked away. Fayed’s settlement was negotiated by a senior Harrods govt.”
The brand new Harrods homeowners have been settling claims since 2023. When Fayed died, it was estimated that his value was over £1bn. However the girls say that cash will not be the motivation for them to talk out.
“’I’ve spent so a few years being quiet and silent, not talking up’, says Gemma, ‘and I hope speaking about it now helps. We are able to all begin feeling higher and therapeutic from it’.”
