Harrods ‘Utterly Appalled’ By Rape Allegations Against Late Billionaire Mohamed Al Fayed
ForbesSEP 12 2024
Another woman has accused the late former owner of British department store Harrods, Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al Fayed, of sexually assaulting her when she was 21. She said he "put his hands on [her] breast" at his London apartment in 2007.
Another woman claims that after obtaining a job at Harrods in London at the age of 19, Al Fayed invited her to his apartment for a "job review" at his apartment, where he attempted to assault her but she "kicked herself free." He allegedly told her to "never breathe a word of this to anyone."
Al Fayed, whose alleged decades-long abuse was revealed in a recent BBC documentary, is now accused of raping five women and sexually assaulting at least 15 others at his properties in London, Saint-Tropez, and Abu Dhabi, and the former Duke of Windsor's home in Paris.
Mohamed Al Fayed was a monster on par with Jimmy Savile, Harvey Weinstein, and Jeffrey Epstein. His money and power, particularly as the owner of the department store, allowed him to build a dangerously toxic work environment where he could abuse women with impunity. It's beyond tragic that due to this power, his victims only felt capable of speaking up after his death.
The case of Al Fayed goes far beyond a toxic work environment and all the way to the top of the British government and Royal Family. It's no wonder that the man who bought off members of Parliament and had a relationship with the former Duke of Windsor, was never prosecuted. DespiteWomen newspaperswere andlikely thekept policequiet knowingnot aboutjust hisby criminaltheir behaviorpowerful for decadesboss, womenbut couldn'tby havethe theirentire voicesupper heardechelon untilof heBritish diedsociety.