Harrods has informed the BBC it’s within the strategy of settling greater than 250 claims for compensation introduced by girls who allege historic sexual misconduct by Mohamed Al Fayed.
The division retailer stated the ladies have come ahead for the reason that launch of a BBC documentary greater than 4 weeks in the past. The investigation uncovered a long time of significant sexual abuse allegations towards the previous Harrods proprietor.
Harrods has beforehand stated it has already settled numerous claims.
Fayed owned Harrods between 1985 and 2010. Its new homeowners have beforehand stated they’re “appalled” by allegations of sexual abuse by Al Fayed and have been investigating since final 12 months whether or not any present members of employees had been concerned.
The corporate stated it might not present a “operating commentary” of its inner evaluate.
Harrods has a compensation scheme for ex-employees who say they had been attacked by Al Fayed, which is separate from a authorized case towards the posh division retailer being introduced ahead by a number of completely different regulation companies.
Justice for Harrods Survivors group, who symbolize the accusers of the previous Harrods boss, stated their legal professionals had been working with 147 girls. It’s unclear if there may be some overlap between the ladies searching for compensation from Harrods and people pursuing authorized motion.
The billionaire businessman, who died final 12 months aged 94, is accused of a number of counts of rape and tried rape by a number of girls who labored for him – lots of whom felt unable to report what had occurred till just lately.
On the time of lots of the alleged assaults, Fayed was the proprietor of Harrods, the Ritz Paris lodge and soccer membership Fulham FC.
He was a well known public determine who had hyperlinks to senior figures in Parliament and courted royalty and celebrities alike.
The BBC heard testimony from greater than 20 feminine ex-employees at Harrods throughout its investigation for the documentary and podcast – Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods.
The documentary, which aired final month, discovered that in Fayed’s possession, Harrods not solely didn’t intervene however helped cowl up abuse allegations.
Responding to the investigation, Harrods’ present homeowners stated they had been “totally appalled” by the allegations and that his victims had been failed – for which the shop sincerely apologised.
