More than 250 people contact Harrods about settlement after allegations against Al-Fayed

Former Fulham football player Ronnie Gibbons accused Al-Fayed last week of sexual assault in the early 2000s. A new alleged victim joined the list on Tuesday. It concerns the daughter of former English footballer Paul Gascoigne, Bianca Gascoigne. She told Sky News that she had been sexually assaulted by the Egyptian businessman.

Since 2023, Harrods says it has settled a number of disputes with women who accuse Al-Fayed of past sexual assault. Mohamed Al-Fayed owned the London department store from 1985 to 2010. The Egyptian multi-millionaire and ex-Fulham owner died last year at the age of 94 without ever being prosecuted.

“Since the broadcast of the BBC documentary on September 19, in which 5 women accuse Al-Fayed of rape and several others of sexual assault, more than 250 people have been in discussions with Harrods to find an agreement directly with the company,” clarified Harrods.

In total, the assaults attributed to Mohamed Al-Fayed at Harrods, at the Ritz and at Fulham football club are said to have taken place over a period of almost 30 years between 1979 and 2013, police said.

The police said on Saturday that since the documentary was broadcast, they have been approached by 60 people who have told their experience. She also received a total of 21 complaints between 2005 and 2023, none of which resulted in prosecution.