Harrods apologises for allegations of sexual abuse against former owner Mohamed Al Fayed

A BBC documentary and podcast heard the testimony of more than 20 former workers who said they were sexually abused by Al Fayed, who died last year aged 94. The incidents took place in London, Paris, St Tropez and Abu Dhabi.

One of the women who accused Al Fayed of raping her as a teenager described him as a “monster”: “He actively stoked fear.”

According to the BBC documentary, which aired on Thursday, Harrods failed to intervene and helped cover up allegations of abuse when Al Fayed was the owner between 1985 and 2010. All of the women the BBC spoke to said they felt intimidated at work.

“We are deeply appalled by the allegations of abuse of power by Mohamed Al Fayed,” Harrods said in a statement. “These were the actions of an individual who sought to abuse his power.”

“We also recognise that his victims were let down during this time and we sincerely apologise for that,” Harrods said, adding that the department store is now a “very different organisation” to the one owned and controlled by Al Fayed.

In the past, several media outlets have made allegations of sexual abuse against Al Fayed, including Vanity Fair in 1995, ITV in 1997 and Channel 4 in 2017. Many of the women did not feel able to speak publicly until after his death last year.

Settlement of legal claims

“Since new information came to light in 2023 about historical allegations of sexual abuse by Al Fayed, our priority has been to resolve the claims as quickly as possible and avoid lengthy legal proceedings for the women affected,” Harrods said.

The process remains available to all current and former Harrods employees.

In 2009, prosecutors decided not to press charges against Al Fayed for allegedly sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl in his shop, arguing that there was “no realistic prospect of conviction.”

He voluntarily appeared for police questioning under reservations and has always denied the allegations.

Al Fayed sold Harrods to the Qatari royal family's investment company in 2010. The deal is said to have been worth around £1.5 billion ($2.3 billion).

Al Fayed was born in the Egyptian city of Alexandria. He began his career selling soft drinks and then worked as a sewing machine salesman. He built his family's fortune in real estate, transportation and construction, first in the Middle East and then in Europe.

Al Fayed spent ten years trying to prove that Princess Diana and her son Dodi were murdered when their car crashed in a Paris road tunnel in 1997 as they tried to escape paparazzi photographers on motorbikes.

According to the inquest into Diana's death, his claims were not supported by any evidence.