Some Harrods bosses should be questioned over “collusion” with alleged misconduct by Mohamed Al Fayed, a former employee at the department store has said.
Five women alleged they were raped by Al Fayed, the former owner of Harrods who died last year at the age of 94, with a number of others alleging sexual misconduct.
A legal team representing alleged victims confirmed on Saturday morning that they have “had over 150 new enquiries” since the airing of a BBC documentary on Al Fayed.
The enquiries relate to a “mix of survivors and individuals with evidence about Al Fayed”, a spokesperson for the team confirmed to the PA news agency.
This is the worst case of corporate sexual exploitation of young women that I have ever seen, and I think probably the world has ever seen
A former Harrods employee, who wished to remain anonymous, told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme of “enablers” at the luxury store who were “as guilty as Al Fayed because they were not just passive onlookers”.
The woman, who said she worked for Harrods in a “very junior role” when she was 21, added: “They were actually helping to send girl after girl into a total nightmare.
“I think that some individuals should be identified and that they should be questioned into their collusion.
“It is essentially grooming, as the evidence suggests, and they should face justice.”
In its statement, Harrods said it was “utterly appalled by the allegations of abuse” and that they were “the actions of an individual who was intent on abusing his power wherever he operated”.
Referencing this, the store’s former employee said: “I know Harrods said in their statement that these are the actions of an individual but actually I think it also shows the inaction of multiple people and leaders.”
The woman said she was invited into Al Fayed’s office where he offered her a job, kissed her on the forehead and handed her £300 in cash, as well as holding her hand and asking whether she had a boyfriend.
Recalling the encounter, she said: “He said ‘No, you don’t have a boyfriend. I’m your boyfriend,’” adding that being kissed by him was “horrible”.
The former Harrods employee said that after describing the encounter to her male line manager, he “brushed it off” and told her: “That’s just what he’s like.”
Sources within Harrods have said the business has accepted vicarious liability for the conduct of Al Fayed for the purpose of settling claims of alleged victims brought to its attention since 2023, reaching settlements with the vast majority.
It has been our priority to settle claims in the quickest way possible, avoiding lengthy legal proceedings for the women involved
Bruce Drummond, a barrister in the legal team representing 37 alleged victims, told BBC Radio 4 it was a “huge conflict of interest” that Harrods was inviting former or current employees to settle claims.
Mr Drummond said: “It does seem to me a huge conflict of interest that Harrods are saying: ‘Yes, we did wrong. We were responsible for serious harm to you, but come to us and we’ll sort out the settlement for you.’”
He added: “This is the worst case of corporate sexual exploitation of young women that I have ever seen, and I think probably the world has ever seen.”
Maria Mulla, another barrister in the legal team, told Times Radio that she had heard stories of women at Harrods “being put into cupboards” when Al Fayed was walking round so “they wouldn’t be spotted”.
In its statement on the BBC Documentary, Al-Fayed: Predator At Harrods, which aired on Thursday, Harrods said it was “a very different organisation to the one owned and controlled by Al Fayed between 1985 and 2010”.
The store added that “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”.
