Former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed has been accused by dozens of women of sexual assault in a new investigation that has reportedly left the British monarchy on tenterhooks.
On September 19, a BBC documentary revealed more than 20 ex-employees had made allegations of sexual abuse and rape against the late businessman. Two weeks on, that figure has grown to more than 100 women.
Al Fayed, whose son Dodi died in the 1997 Paris car crash that killed Princess Diana, long held a fascination – and relationship – with the royal family. He died last year aged 94.
Lawyers representing 37 of the alleged victims said they’ve “never seen a case as horrific as this”.
“We will say it plainly: Mohamed Al Fayed was a monster,” Dean Armstrong KC said.
“Our single aim is to seek justice for the survivors of the sexual abuses of Al Fayed … We believe the system not only enabled, but potentially allowed to a knowing extent the widespread sexual abuse of the survivors that we represent.”
The documentary, titled Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods, heard horrifying accounts of abuse that spanned his 25-year reign at the luxury London department store.
Many of the women alleged he had prowled the shop floor and “cherry-picked” them to be brought to his suite.
Sara Mulcahy, who lives in Sydney, tells New Idea this behaviour was common knowledge. She started working at Harrods as a sales assistant in 1987.
“Everyone on the ground floor knew that he had a habit of ‘choosing’ young women from the shop floor for coveted ‘personal assistant’ roles at 60 Park Lane – his headquarters away from Harrods,” Sara says.
“There was certainly a type, one I didn’t fit – slim and blonde with high, high heels and red lips. The most popular hunting ground was the cosmetics department and the perfumery – dubbed the ‘Piranha Pit’.”
Sara says she didn’t personally experience Al Fayed’s alleged abuse.
“While I never heard anyone accusing Al Fayed himself of rape, there was plenty of talk that one of the key roles of his assistants was to ‘entertain’ his friends and his business associates,” she says.
“We did also hear from time to time about young women who didn’t pass muster for whatever reason and got tossed back into the Piranha Pit. Presumably, they were the lucky ones.”
The investigation also alleged the assaults took place in Paris, St Tropez, Abu Dhabi and at Villa Windsor, the home of the Duke of Windsor and Wallis Simpson. Al Fayed took a 50-year lease on the villa in 1986.
He had previously been accused of sexual assault, however a police investigation failed to lead to any charges.
Lawyers for some of the victims now say they will bring a civil case against Harrods, who they state, helped cover up the abuse.
Harrods said they will now investigate whether any of its current staff were “directly or indirectly” involved in the allegations.
“We are utterly appalled by the allegations of abuse,” the statement said.
“These were the actions of an individual who was intent on abusing his power … The Harrods of today is a very different organisation to the one owned and controlled by Al Fayed between 1985 and 2010.”
At the time of going to press, Buckingham Palace hadn’t commented on the allegations.
If you or someone you know has been affected by any of the issues in this article, help is always available. Call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
