Ex-Harrods boss Mohamed Al Fayed accused of raping five female staff members and string of sex assaults

19 September 2024, 07:46 | Updated: 19 September 2024, 11:50

Egyptian businessman Mohamed Abdel Moneim Fayed. Picture by James Boardman
The late Mohamed Al Fayed has been accused of multiple rapes by members of staff. Picture: Alamy

By Flaminia Luck

Mohamed Al Fayed, the late billionaire and former Harrods boss has been accused of multiple rapes by members of staff.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

Five women say they were raped by the former owner of the famous London department store.

More than 20 former female employees allege Al Fayed sexually assaulted them, with some accusations involving rape, according to an investigation by the BBC.

The incidents took place in London, Paris, St Tropez and Abu Dhabi.

Staff also told the investigation the Harrods boss would walk through the luxury store’s sales floors, selecting young female assistants he found attractive. These women were then promoted to work in his offices upstairs.

The Egyptian businessman died aged 94 last year.

His eldest son - Dodi - was killed alongside Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997.

Soccer - Barclays Premier League - Fulham v Manchester United - Craven Cottage. Fulham's owner Mohammed Al Fayed
Five women say they were raped by former Harrods boss. Picture: Alamy

'Monster'

“I made it obvious that I didn't want that to happen. I did not give consent. I just wanted it to be over,” says one of the women, who says Fayed raped her at his Park Lane apartment.

Another said she was a teenager when he raped her at the Mayfair address.

“Mohamed Al Fayed was a monster, a sexual predator with no moral compass whatsoever,” she says, adding that all the staff at Harrods were his “playthings”.

“We were all so scared. He actively cultivated fear.

"If he said ‘jump’ employees would ask ‘how high’.”

Fayed faced sexual assault claims while alive, but these allegations are of unprecedented scale and severity.

Read more: Married senior police officer broke lockdown rules to have sex with 21-year-old trainee

Read more: Disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein pleads not guilty to new sex crime charge in New York

Al Fayed was the chairman of Fulham FC
Al Fayed was the chairman of Fulham FC. Picture: Alamy

Rachel - not her real name - worked as a personal assistant in Harrods in the 1990s.

One night after work, she was called to his luxury apartment, in a large block on Park Lane overlooking Hyde Park.

The building was protected by security staff and had an on-site office staffed by Harrods employees.

She said Al Fayed asked her to sit on his bed and put his hand on her leg, making it clear what he wanted.

“I remember feeling his body on me, the weight of him. Just hearing him make these noises. And… just going somewhere else in my head.

“He raped me.”

Al Fayed has died at the age of 94
Al Fayed has died at the age of 94. Picture: Getty

'Open secret'

“The abuse of women was something I was aware of while working on the shop floor," says Tony Leeming, a Harrods department manager from 1994 to 2004.

"It wasn’t even a secret," he recalls, though he claims he was unaware of more serious allegations of assault or rape.“And I think if I knew, everyone knew. Anyone who says they didn’t is lying, I’m sorry,” Leeming adds.

His account is supported by former members of Fayed's security team.

“We knew he had a very strong interest in young girls,” says Eamon Coyle, who started as a store detective at Harrods in 1979 and later served as deputy director of security from 1989 to 1995.

Mohamed Al-Fayed in 2007 appearing at the High Court in London for the inquest into the deaths of his son Dodi Fayed and princess Diana.
Mohamed Al-Fayed in 2007 appearing at the High Court in London for the inquest into the deaths of his son Dodi Fayed and princess Diana. Picture: Alamy

He relocated to the UK in 1974 and was already a prominent public figure when he acquired Harrods in 1985.

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, he frequently appeared as a guest on popular prime-time TV chat and entertainment shows.

He also bought Fulham FC in 1997.

In a statement, Harrods told the BBC it these had been the actions of an individual “intent on abusing his power” which it condemned in the strongest terms.

It said: “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.”

Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods airs tonight on the BBC.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

Sarah Edmilao, a member of the Filipino community

Child aged five among victims of car ramming in Vancouver - as death toll predicted to rise

Michelle Visage has paid tribute to Jiggly Caliente

Michelle Visage pays tribute to 'angel' Jiggly Caliente following death of RuPaul's Drag Race star at 44

New York,

Harry Potter star Rupert Grint welcomes second child - as he reveals baby's name

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on Dahiyeh in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon

Israel launches air strike on Beirut as it claims to be targeting Hezbollah facilities

Police remain in the area

'Key suspect' in crossbow and firearm attack in Leeds in critical condition, police confirm

Police remain in the area

Community in shock following attack in broad daylight on Leeds street

Ryan

Dad charged after 14-year-old son killed after van crashes into tree on M6

Fans of Liverpool hold up scarfs, as they sign 'You'll Never Walk Alone' during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC at Anfield

Liverpool win Premier League after thrashing Tottenham 5-1 to equal Manchester United's record

Evidence markers and Vancouver Police vehicles sit at a scene after a driver killed multiple people Saturday during a Filipino community festival Sunday, April 27, 2025, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Death toll rises to 11 day after car drives into crowd in Vancouver

Sam Ruddock

Fears grow for missing British Paralympian who vanished in Las Vegas as urgent search launched

Exclusive
London, UK. 26th April 2025. Just Stop Oil activists gather outside Shell headquarters as they stage their final protest. The climate group recently announced they will cease protest actions. Credit: Vuk Valcic/Alamy Live News

'Would I have stood up for Anne Frank?' Just Stop Oil activist compares group's protests to WWII Resistance

Thomas, 44, admitted manslaughter but maintained that Victoria’s death was a ‘sex act gone wrong’.

Life sentence for murderer who killed partner after drinking 16 pints and going on cocaine binge

Exclusive
Youth Demand activists were tackled off the marathon route

Anger as Youth Demand say 'compassionate' activists who disrupted London Marathon made 'massive sacrifice'

Tigst Assefa wins the women's elite race during the TCS London Marathon. Picture date: Sunday April 27, 2025.

Ethiopian runner Assefa sets women's-only record at London Marathon, as Kenyan Sawe wins men's elite race

Jiggly Caliente has died

RuPaul's Drag Race star Jiggly Caliente dies days after having leg amputated following infection

Ryan Reynolds with fans

Ryan Reynolds says he 'feels at home' in Wrexham, with club now only one promotion away from Premier League