Further 65 women tell BBC of abuse by Mohamed Al Fayed

A further 65 women have come forward to the BBC with allegations of abuse by Mohamed Al Fayed stretching as far back as 1977.

The fresh claims include new details of sexual harassment, sexual assault and rape sent to the BBC in the weeks following the airing of the broadcaster’s Al Fayed: Predator At Harrods documentary.

Mr Al Fayed, the former Harrods and Fulham FC owner who died last year aged 94, is accused of multiple sexual assaults after the BBC investigation was published last month.

Among the new claims is a woman who says she was assaulted by Mr Al Fayed in Dubai in 1977, the earliest accusation of abuse so far.

The BBC reports 37 of the 65 new women to come forward said they had worked at Harrods.

In a statement to the BBC, Harrods said: “Since the airing of the documentary, so far there are 200-plus individuals who are now in the Harrods process to settle claims directly with the business.”

The fresh accusations come after barristers representing alleged victims of Mr Al Fayed said last week the group has more than 70 clients.

Justice for Harrods Survivors said the number of women “feeling safe to come forward” was “increasing on a daily basis”.

The claims include five accusations of rape and multiple allegations of sexual abuse.

A spokesman for Justice for Harrods Survivors, consisting of barristers Dean Armstrong KC, Bruce Drummond, Maria Mulla, and Gloria Allred, said that it “now retains 71 clients and is processing a further 220 inquiries”.

The Metropolitan Police has also said it was investigating a number of new allegations made against Mr Al Fayed, in addition to prior reports.

The force said it would carry out “full reviews of all existing allegations” of incidents said to have taken place between 1979 and 2013 to ensure there are “no new lines of inquiry based on new information which has emerged”.

The Met said it was contacting lawyers representing alleged victims to “ensure they have the opportunity to speak with us and report any offences”.

Published: 10/10/2024 by Radio NewsHub