Report: Deceased former owner of London department store Harrods charged with rape

LONDON – Several women have accused Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed, the former owner of London luxury department store Harrods, of rape and sexual assault while they were employed there, the BBC reported on September 19.

The allegations, made in a BBC documentary and podcast, are the latest made against powerful figures since the #MeToo movement began in 2017.

Mr Al-Fayed, who died in 2023 at the age of 94, was a prominent figure in British life for decades as the owner of Harrods.

His son Dodi Al-Fayed, a confidant of the late Princess Diana, died next to her in a car accident in Paris in 1997.

More than 20 women have spoken to the BBC as part of a special investigation into assault and physical violence in London and Paris.

According to the documentary “Al-Fayed: Predator At Harrods,” which is scheduled to air on September 19, and the podcast “World Of Secrets,” five women said they were raped by him.

He had previously been accused of sexually harassing and groping several women, but a police investigation into a rape in 2015 did not result in charges.

Harrods' current owners said they were “deeply appalled” by the abuse allegations, adding: “As a company, we have let down our employees who were its victims and for that we sincerely apologise.”

In July 2023, Harrods began resolving disputes with women who had accused Mr Al-Fayed of sexual abuse between the late 1980s and the late 2000s.

Mr Al-Fayed sold the famous Knightsbridge store to the investment arm of Qatar's sovereign wealth fund in 2010 for a reported £1.5 billion (Singapore dollars 2.6 billion). AFP