Mohamed Al-Fayed, former Harrods owner whose son died with Princess Diana, ‘raped 5 women’: ‘He was disgusting’

The women claimed that the attacks took place in the company's offices, in Fayed's London apartment or on trips abroad – often at the Ritz Hotel in Paris.

Mohamed Al Fayed regularly walked through the department store's sales floors to identify young saleswomen he found attractive before singling them out and attacking them. The allegations were made in a BBC documentary called “Al-Fayed: Predator at Harrods”.

In the expose, the broadcaster claimed that Harrods not only failed to intervene, but also helped to cover up the allegations against Mohamed Al Fayed. The company's current owners said they were “utterly appalled” by the allegations and stressed that the company is “very different” today.

Bruce Drummond, a lawyer on a legal team representing several of the women, said: “The web of corruption and abuse in this company was unbelievable and very dark.”

Sophia, one of Mohamed Al Fayed's alleged victims who worked as his personal assistant from 1988 to 1991, said he tried to rape her more than once. “He was disgusting,” she said, adding: “People should not remember him like that. That's not how he was.”

Another alleged victim stayed in one of Al Fayed's apartments rather than take a taxi home at his urging after working for Harrods for a long time. He then invited her to his private apartment, where he told her to sit on the bed, placing his hand firmly on her leg. She said: “I made it clear that I didn't want to do this. I didn't consent. I just wanted it to be over. I remember feeling his body on top of me, his weight. I just heard him making these noises. And my mind was just somewhere else.”

She said: “He raped me. Afterwards, you blame yourself. You're here to do your job and there's the boss in front of you in a dressing gown. And even if you try to get out of the situation, I try not to insult him.”

Mohamed Al Fayed was born in Egypt and was a businessman in the Middle East before moving to the UK in the 1970s. He took control of Harrods in 1985 and bought the Ritz Hotel in Paris in 1979. He also owned Fulham FC from 1997 to 2013. His son Dodi died in a car crash in Paris alongside Princess Diana of Wales.