Lawyers brand Al Fayed a 'monster' as they allege 'vast web of abuse' at Harrods

Mohammed Al Fayed was described as 'a predator and a monster' today by lawyers for the women who have accused him of serial sexual assault, as ITV News' Ellie Pitt reports

A lawyer representing multiple women claiming abuse by Mohamed Al Fayed have branded the late former boss of Harrods a "monster", and said the allegations are among the worst he has dealt with.

In a press conference Dean Armstrong KC said: "I have never seen a case as horrific as this.

"We will say it plainly, Mohamed Al Fayed was a monster. But he was a monster enabled by a system."

Barrister Bruce Drummond told the press conference it is “one of the worst cases of corporate sexual exploitation” that he and “perhaps the world has ever seen”.

More than 20 women have come forward with allegations of physical and sexual assault against Al Fayed at properties in London, St Tropez, Abu Dhabi, and Paris.

According to a BBC documentary, five of the women claim they had been raped by Al Fayed.

Egyptian-born Al Fayed, who owned Harrods for over 25 years, died in September 2023 at the age of 94. Al Fayed, sold Harrods in 2010.

American attorney Gloria Allred claimed what was happening at Harrods was widely known by employees, disputing claims the organisation only knew of the alleged abuse in 2023.

She said Al Fayed's time as owner was characterised by "cover ups, threats and a quarter of a century of sexual abuse".

Lawyers have alleged a procurement system was in place, whereby women would be medically examined, which included a cervical smear and sexual health screening - which came as part of their roles as secretary and personal assistant to Al Fayed.

It's also alleged security teams and surveillance was tasked with monitoring the victims and asked to report back to Al Fayed, as to whether they were in relationships. Lawyers allege this involved listening into the womens' phone calls.

The legal team representing the women said many of them suffered life-changing impacts, including psychiatric care.

Natacha began working for Al Fayed's personal assistant when she was 19.

She spoke of being subjected to intrusive medical examinations, including what she believed was virginity testing.

One of Mr Al Fayed's accusers, Natacha, who featured in 'Al-Fayed: Predator at Harrods' speaks during a press conference Credit: PA

Al Fayed forced himself on her, kissing her and touching her without consent.

She said: "These incidents lasted seconds but the fear instilled left me paralysed."

Natacha, who has waived her right to anonymity, told the press conference she was escorted to Al Fayed's private apartment by a security guard, where she was given a glass of champagne. The door to Al Fayed's bedroom was ajar and sex toys were in plain view.

Al Fayed forced himself on her, but she managed to escape and make an excuse to leave. Al Fayed laughed, she said, and told her if she spoke of the incident "he knew where my family lived".

Armstrong called on Harrods to take responsibility for what has been uncovered, and to "set matters right".

In a statement released after the press conference, a spokesperson for Harrods said: "We are utterly appalled by the allegations of abuse perpetrated by Mohamed Al Fayed.

"These were the actions of an individual who was intent on abusing his power wherever he operated and we condemn them in the strongest terms.

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"The Harrods of today is a very different organisation to the one owned and controlled by Al Fayed between 1985 and 2010, it is one that seeks to put the welfare of our employees at the heart of everything we do.

"This is why, since new information came to light in 2023 about historic allegations of sexual abuse by Al Fayed, it has been our priority to settle claims in the quickest way possible, avoiding lengthy legal proceedings for the women involved."

Harrods said they have a settlement process in place for alleged victims and are understood to have received more enquires since the BBC documentary.

Al Fayed has previously faced charges of groping and sexually assaulting multiple women, but a 2015 police investigation did not lead to any charges.

The Metropolitan Police first received a complaint of sexual assault alleged to have occurred in London in 2008, the force said in a statement ahead of the press conference on Friday.

The case was referred to the Crime Prosecution Service (CP) who concluded that no further action should be taken.

Commander Kevin Southworth who leads on Public Protection for the Met, said: “We are aware of various allegations of sexual offences made over a number of years in relation to the late Mohammed Al-Fayed which were reported to the Met. Each one was investigated and, where appropriate, advice from the Crown Prosecution Service was sought. No charges resulted from these investigations.

“We are committed to ensuring those who report sexual offences to the Met receive the best service possible from our officers and we have made progress in improving the quality of our investigations in recent years, including more than doubling our charges for rape since 2021.

“Anyone who has been the victim of sexual offence is encouraged to speak to police so they can be provided with support and any offence can be investigated.

“As with any investigation, if any further information comes to light it will be assessed and investigated accordingly.”

As well as his ownership of Harrods, Al Fayed also spent a number of years as the chairman of Fulham football club.

A Fulham FC spokesperson said: "We are deeply troubled and concerned to learn of the disturbing reports following yesterday’s documentary. We have sincere empathy for the women who have shared their experiences.

"We are in the process of establishing whether anyone at the club is or has been affected. Should any person wish to share information or experiences relating to these allegations, we encourage them to contact the club at: safeguarding@fulhamfc.com or the police."

Al Fayed's son Dodi died in 1997 in the same car crash in Paris as Princess Diana. He repeatedly claimed they were murdered in a plot by the security services and Duke of Edinburgh.

However, he was forced to reluctantly concede defeat after a high-profile six-month inquest in 2007 and 2008.

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