BBC: Late Harrods owner Al Fayed charged with rape

Several women have accused Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al Fayed, the former owner of London's luxury department store Harrods where they worked, of rape and sexual assault, the BBC reported on Thursday.

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

Fayed, who died last year at the age of 94, was a prominent figure in British life for decades as the owner of Harrods.

His son Dodi, 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.

Five women said they had been raped by him, the documentary says Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods The broadcast is scheduled for later on Thursday, as is the podcast “World of Secrets”.