Mohamed Al Fayed: Six Australians among at least 400 women to allege sexual abuse by ex-Harrods boss

Six Australian women are among more than 400 alleged victims to have so far contacted the legal team working on a case against the late Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al Fayed, who has been accused of sexual abuse and rape, lawyer Dean Armstrong says.

A BBC documentary in September revealed Al Fayed, who died last year aged 94, sexually abused female staff at his London department store Harrods, forced them to have medical screenings and threatened consequences if they tried to complain.

Lawyers for the Justice for Harrods Survivors (JFHS) group say they are also investigating claims the businessman sexually assaulted several children, including an 11-year-old.

“The sheer scale of abuse perpetrated by Al Fayed, and facilitated by those around him, sadly, continues to grow,” Mr Armstrong KC, who is leading the JFHS legal team, told a news conference in London.

Al Fayed always denied similar accusations raised by other reports before his death.

When asked for a response, Harrods pointed Reuters to its past statements on the allegations, in which it has apologised, said it was “appalled” by them and that it had launched a process for any current or former Harrods employees who wish to claim compensation.

Another lawyer, Bruce Drummond, said the more than 400 claims have been made by women from around the world, mostly from Britain but also from the United States, Australia, Malaysia, Spain, South Africa and other countries.

“That, in our opinion, is an industrial scale abuse,” Drummond said, adding abuse took place “within the walls of Harrods” but also in other locations linked to Al Fayed’s business empire, such as Fulham Football Club, the Ritz Paris and his estate in Surrey.

Victims include the daughter of a former US ambassador to Britain and the daughter of a well-known soccer player, Drummond said, without giving any names.

The BBC documentary said Harrods had failed to intervene and helped to cover up abuse allegations during his ownership of the luxury department store between 1985 and 2010

Lawyers have criticised the Harrods-run compensation scheme, saying some of the victims do not feel comfortable to reach out to Harrods directly for compensation as that is where the abuse unfolded.

Drummond said some senior members of staff from the Al Fayed era still worked at Harrods.

The Financial Times last week reported that four alleged victims had quit the Harrods compensation scheme due to their concerns over potential conflicts of interest and poor communication.

Several media organisations had reported allegations of sexual abuse against Al Fayed before the BBC documentary, including Vanity Fair in 1995, ITV in 1997 and Channel 4 in 2017.

Lawyers said in September many of the women only felt able to speak publicly in the BBC report after he died last year.

A lawyer for the accusers, Bruce Drummond KC, told the ABC that five of the Australian women accusing Al Fayed of sexual assault were employed at Harrods, and one was working for a supplier for the department store. All of the women were in their twenties at the time of their alleged assault.

He said the women weren’t concerned that Mr Al Fayed wasn’t alive to face justice.

“It’s about seeing justice in their own eyes and justice for these ladies means accountability, which means that we out him for the monster he was ... it means setting a precedent so young girls in the future don’t go through the same thing,” he said.

Mr Armstrong siad the JFHS group had received a £1 billion ($1.96 billion) from a legal firm to work through the claims.

“If we are pushed, if our survivors are pushed, into having to defend themselves in order to achieve justice, we are ready. We are resourced and we are determined.”

1800 RESPECT: 1800 737 732

Sexual Assault Counselling Australia: 1800 211 028

Bravehearts (support for child sexual abuse survivors): 1800 272 831

Lifeline (24-hour Crisis Line): 131 114