Harrods has said it is investigating whether any current staff members were involved in the allegations of sexual offences against former boss Mohamed Al Fayed.
The store released a new statement after a woman who used to work there claimed staff failed to investigate when she complained about inappropriate behavior by Al Fayed.
Jessica, whose name is not hers, told the BBC that the Egyptian billionaire pushed her against a wall and sexually assaulted her when she was 22 in 2008.
She said she felt threatened when she signed what she believes was a confidentiality agreement during a subsequent meeting with her bosses.
And Jessica claimed that one of the people in the room still works at Harrods in a senior position.
Harrods has said it is investigating whether any current members of its staff were involved in any of the sexual offence allegations against former boss Mohamed Al Fayed (pictured)
Mohamed Al Fayed pictured in a doorman’s uniform outside Harrods
Some of Fayed’s attacks are said to have taken place at his Park Lane property in London.
Harrods has now confirmed it is conducting an internal investigation to determine whether “any current staff members were involved in any of the allegations, either directly or indirectly”.
The spokesman also told the BBC: ‘In addition, Harrods’ board has established a non-executive committee of the board to further consider issues arising from the allegations.
‘Harrods is also in direct communication with the Metropolitan Police to ensure we offer our assistance with any relevant investigations.’
MailOnline has contacted Harrods for further comment.
Lawyers representing women who say they were sexually assaulted by Al Fayed say they have received more than 150 enquiries since a damning BBC documentary aired last week.
Five women say they were raped by Al Fayed, while dozens of others have alleged sexual misconduct.
The new investigations refer to a “mix of survivors and people with evidence regarding Al Fayed.”
Lawyer Bruce Drummond, part of the legal team representing 37 alleged victims in a civil case against Harrods, told BBC Radio 4 on Saturday: “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.”
Al Fayed is accused of raping and assaulting several women during his time as owner of Harrods between 1985 and 2010.
Mohamed Al Fayed pictured alongside Diana, Princess of Wales, at a charity event held at Harrods in London in 1996
Lawyers representing women who claim they were sexually assaulted by Al Fayed say they have “had more than 150 new enquiries” since the broadcast of a damning BBC documentary
He said some of the survivors came from Malaysia, Dubai, Canada and France, while the Ritz Hotel in Paris, once owned by Al Fayed, had also been the scene of alleged attacks.
Maria Mulla, another lawyer on the legal team, told Times Radio she had heard stories of women in Harrods “being shoved into cupboards” when Al Fayed walked by “so they wouldn’t be seen”.
His comments came as a former Harrods employee, who asked to remain anonymous, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the luxury retailer’s “enablers” were “just as guilty as Al Fayed because they were not simply passive bystanders”.
The woman, referred to in the programme as Catherine, said she worked at Harrods in a “very minor role” when she was 21.
Harrods said in a statement earlier this week: “We are absolutely appalled by the allegations of abuse perpetrated by Mohamed al Fayed.
‘These were the actions of an individual who intended to abuse his power wherever he operated and we condemn them in the strongest terms.
‘We also recognize that during this time as a company we failed our employees who were victims and for this we sincerely apologize.
Mohamed Al Fayed pictured with the Queen in 1997
‘The Harrods of today is a very different organisation to the one owned and controlled by Fayed between 1985 and 2010; it is one that seeks to put the wellbeing of our employees at the heart of everything we do.’
Harrods added that it had been a “priority” to resolve the claims since “new information came to light in 2023 about historical allegations of sexual abuse by Fayed”.
Sources within Harrods have said the company has accepted vicarious liability for Al Fayed’s conduct in order to resolve claims from alleged victims brought to its attention since 2023, reaching settlements with the vast majority.
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 outlet 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 resolve the claims as quickly as possible, avoiding lengthy legal proceedings for the women involved.”
