The number of alleged victims of former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed to come forward has risen, with barristers saying they now represent “60 survivors”.
The Egyptian billionaire, who died aged 94 last year, was at the centre of an investigation by the BBC earlier this month that uncovered allegations of multiple sexual assaults, including rapes, against him.
Last week, a press conference was held in which former Harrods employees revealed their allegations against Al Fayed, and encouraged more people to come forward. On Wednesday, five accusers also shared their stories on BBC Breakfast.
On Friday, a spokesperson for the legal team Justice for Harrods Survivors said it had received an “enormous” response to the probe, adding the number of alleged victims it was representing had risen from 37 seven days ago to 60.
The team also said it now had evidence of alleged abuse by Al Fayed at Fulham Football Club, which he owned from 1997 to 2013.
A statement from the group of barristers said: “We can confirm that we now represent 60 survivors as part of our claim, with more to come. To reiterate, our claim is becoming increasingly global in scope.
“We thank each of these brave women for placing their trust in us as we now move forward together.
“As we said last week, given our prolonged experience in dealing with the women impacted by this case, we expected that anywhere Mohamed Al Fayed went, abuse would follow. Sadly, this has proven to be true.
“We are now in possession of credible evidence of abuse at other Al Fayed properties and businesses, including Fulham Football Club.”
It comes after the Met Police said it was investigating a number of new allegations, in addition to prior reported alleged offences by Al Fayed between 1979 and 2013 which resulted in no charges.
The force is also encouraging more people to come forward.
Al Fayed bought Fulham in 1997 and under his ownership they rose to the top half of the Premier League in the early 2000s, peaking at qualification for the Europa League. He sold the club in 2013.
Extra precautions were put in place to protect Fulham‘s women’s team from Al Fayed, former manager Gaute Haugenes said.
A spokesperson for Fulham FC said: “We are aware of recent reports stating that new enquiries have been made concerning the former chairman’s tenure at the club. Whilst the details of these enquiries have not been made available to us, we are deeply troubled and intend to investigate all relevant matters appropriately.
“In the meantime, should any person affected wish to share information related to this matter, we encourage them to contact us at safeguarding@fulhamfc.com or the Police.”
The Football Association (FA) said it was “aware of the reports and will remain in contact with Fulham FC to monitor the matter”.
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 most.
Among the alleged victims to have come forward are five women who shared their stories on BBC Breakfast on Wednesday morning.
Jen, who worked for Mr Al Fayed for nearly five years, said she had waived her anonymity to encourage others to come forward “without fear of any consequences”.
She claimed he bugged her flat and phone, and left her feeling threatened “until the moment he died”.
Another woman, named Gemma, who worked as Mr Al Fayed’s PA between between 2007 and 2009, alleged she was raped by the Harrods boss in Paris.
She said: “In my time, there must have been hundreds of women brought up to the offices, disappeared into meeting rooms and then left crying.
“But it was such a secrecy surrounding it all. You were terrified to speak out and ask questions, so you kind of … internalise ‘is it just me?’.”
In a statement issued last week, Harrods’ current owners said they were “utterly appalled” by the allegations and are carrying out an internal review into whether current staff were involved in the allegations, “directly or indirectly”.
It continued: “The Harrods of today is a very different organisation to the one owned and controlled by Al Fayed between 1985 and 2010, it is one that seeks to put the welfare of our employees at the heart of everything we do.”
