Latest news with #JusticeforHarrodsSurvivors
Khaleej Times
09-02-2025
- Khaleej Times
Third Al Fayed brother accused of sexual abuse, says BBC
Three former employees at London's Harrods store have accused another brother of its late boss Mohamed Al Fayed of sexual assault, after hundreds of similar claims were made against the tycoon, the BBC reported on Friday. They accuse Ali Fayed, the last surviving one of the three brothers, of assaulting them while they were working for the luxury department store in the 1990s. More than 400 women have come forward with accusations of sexual assault, including rape, against the Egyptian former Harrods and Fulham Football Club owner Mohamed Al Fayed in the wake of a BBC documentary released in September. In November, three women accused another brother, the late Salah Fayed, of assaulting them during the period when he jointly owned the department store with Mohamed. The same week, The New York Times published the claims of a victim accusing Mohamed's younger brother, Ali, of knowing about the "trafficking" of women. Now, three former employees say they were assaulted by Ali Fayed in London, Scotland, Switzerland and the US when the department store was owned by the brothers, according to the BBC. One woman, known as Amy, said she "endured" abuse by Mohamed Al Fayed during three years as his personal assistant, and was also "groped" by Ali at a Fayed family chalet in Switzerland. She told the BBC she wanted an "explanation" from Ali Fayed, 81, who was a director at Harrods. A former Harrods interior designer, named only as Frances, said she was serially abused by Mohamed Al Fayed before being "molested" by Ali in a private apartment in central London and then at his family home in the US state of Connecticut. Laura, the third alleged victim, was subjected to a "serious sexual assault" by Ali Fayed, according to the BBC. A spokesperson for Ali Fayed told the BBC he denied all accusations. A spokesperson for Harrods said it "cannot and would not comment on individual cases", noting accused individuals "can, and should, respond to these allegations directly". Its statement added: "Harrods supports the bravery of all survivors in coming forward. "Their claims point to the breadth of abuse by Mohamed Fayed and raise serious allegations against his brother, Ali Fayed." Harrods confirmed that Ali Fayed was a director and that he was based "in the chairman's offices" when working in the role. "He ceased his role when the business changed ownership in 2010," the statement added. Justice for Harrods Survivors, which represents hundreds of women alleging abuse by Mohamed Al-Fayed, said it was representing all three women in this case. "It was clear from the very first days of our work on this case that other individuals beyond Mohamed Al Fayed were alleged to have been involved in the abuse of women and the concealment of their experiences," Justice for Harrods Survivors said in a statement. "We applaud the bravery of the women who have spoken out on their allegations against Ali Fayed and reiterate our commitment to securing justice and accountability for all survivors." According to The New York Times, a former Harrods employee alleging abuse by Mohamed Al Fayed says Ali may have "unique and critical evidence" of "a more than two-decade-long trafficking scheme". London's Metropolitan police has opened a new investigation into sexual assault claims against Mohamed Al Fayed, which has identified at least 90 victims. Mohamed Al Fayed died in 2023, and Salah in 2010.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Yahoo
Mohamed Fayed's only surviving brother accused of sexual assaults
Mohamed Fayed's only surviving brother has been accused of sexually assaulting three former Harrods employees. The women claim Ali Fayed assaulted them in the 1990s when he and his brothers, Mohamed and Salah, owned and ran the department store. All three have spoken for the first time and said the alleged incidents by Ali Fayed took place in London, Scotland, Switzerland and the United States. The latest allegations come after the Met announced it would be investigating its handling of accusations against Mohamed Fayed under the direction of a watchdog. The Metropolitan Police revealed 111 women have now come forward to make allegations against the former Harrods boss, who died in August 2023. A spokesman for Ali Fayed, 82, who is the only surviving brother and lives in America, said he 'unequivocally denies any and all the allegations of wrongdoing'. Speaking to the BBC, one of the women, Frances, claimed Mohamed Al Fayed began to bully and sexually abuse her after taking an interior design job at the store in 1989. She said she then crossed paths with Ali Fayed after she was tasked with renovating his farmhouse on Mohamed's Scottish estate – where she says he 'groped' and 'molested' her. In 1992, the abuse escalated after she was taken to Ali Fayed's house in Connecticut to help with its interior design. Frances claimed he was waiting in her room as she got undressed in the bathroom and that he then tried to assault her. 'I was just numb and I knew what his intention was – it was really scary,' she said. She added that the alleged attack only stopped when one of Ali's children called out to him, leaving her lying there 'frozen'. 'To this day I suffer with terrible anxiety and panic attacks and I don't like people in my space,' she said. Another woman, Amy, worked as a personal assistant to Mohamed Fayed, who she claims sexually abused her for almost three years while she was working at Harrods. She said she 'endured' the abuse, which she claims also came from Ali Fayed, because she thought 'that was just what being a young woman meant, it was a hazard of the workplace'. A third woman, referred to as Laura, claimed the owner called her to his office 'with a smirk on his face' before telling her his brother Ali wanted to see her, making her feel like she had been 'selected'. She said she was 'numbed with fear' after two serious sexual assaults and commonplace sexual harassment. All three women – who said they did not feel able to speak out at the time – are pursuing civil legal action against Harrods through Justice for Harrods Survivors. In a statement to the BBC, the store, which came under new ownership in 2010, said the new claims showed the 'breadth of abuse' by Mohamed Al Fayed and 'raise serious allegations' against his brother Ali. 'We could not possibly speak on behalf of any individual who can, and should, respond to these allegations directly,' it added. Ali Fayed's spokesman said he denies all the allegations of wrongdoing, 'will not allow false accusations to go unchallenged' and that he is 'not a perpetrator'. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
