The former owner of London’s Harrods department store, Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed, who died last year at the age of 94, has been accused of sexual abuse and rape by more than 20 women who worked for him. The allegations were presented in a BBC documentary, and concern a prominent figure in British life for a long time; his son Dodi was the companion of Princess Diana, with whom he died in a car crash in Paris in 1997. More than 20 women have agreed to participate in the BBC documentary, which is part of an investigation into assaults and violence in important companies in London and Paris.
The documentary “Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods” which will air tonight and will be included in a podcast series called “World of Secrets.” Fayed has previously been accused of sexually assaulting and groping several women, but a 2015 police investigation into a rape allegation did not result in him being charged.
Harrods’ current owners said they were “absolutely shocked” by the allegations of abuse, saying “as a company we have failed our employees who were his victims and for that we sincerely apologise”. Since July 2023, Harrods has been grappling with controversy from women who have accused its former owner of sexual abuse from the late 1980s to the late 2000s. The businessman sold the famed Knightsbridge store in 2010 to the investment arm of Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund for an estimated £1.5 billion ($2.2 billion).