JENNI MURRAY: I knew Jimmy Savile, Rolf Harris and Mohamed Al Fayed before their depraved crimes were exposed… and there was one chilling factor that united them all.

I first met Mohamed Al Fayed while working for the BBC’s Newsnight programme. It was 1985 and he had come into the spotlight after buying two major British institutions: the Dorchester Hotel and Harrods.

It would be some time before he began his battle for British citizenship, but his wealth and controversial business dealings had made him a political subject. I will never forget my visceral reaction to this man. I felt goosebumps rise up on my skin and I couldn’t get away from him fast enough.

He hadn’t moved or touched me, but there was something about him. He was one of those men who looked you up and down like a farmer would look at a cow at a cattle market, thankfully turning away with a snort of disdain in my case.

After all these years, I am infuriated to learn that Al Fayed, who died last year aged 94, allegedly raped and sexually assaulted women who worked at Harrods. Lawyers representing alleged sexual abuse victims say they have heard from more than 150 women.

Many of the stories date back to the 1980s, around the time I first met him. No wonder I had a violent reaction to him.

It is not the first time I have been driven to hysterics by the number of girls and young women who suffer at the hands of wealthy, affluent men, men who get away with their atrocious behaviour for years or, worse, die before facing justice. Like Jimmy Savile, Al Fayed has never suffered public disgrace or punishment in his life.

I knew both men, and also Rolf Harris, who at 80 was sent to prison for abusing young girls. In all three cases, they made my hair stand on end long before I knew anything about their abuse of power.

Some have wondered why it took so long for their victims to come forward, but I know from my own experience of rape as a college student how difficult it is to tell anyone. I was convinced that no one would believe me and decided that I should chalk it up to my experience and make sure it didn’t happen again. Maybe that’s why I have such an effective radar for such men.

In 1978, I was working in Southampton as a presenter on the South Today television programme when I met Jimmy Savile. He was covering the Transplant Games and knew the kidney transplant surgeon who had created them to highlight how fit and healthy patients could become after successful organ transplants.

“Jenni, come and meet the star of our show,” said the doctor. I was led to Savile, who had come to open the games and was surrounded by excited nurses, competitors and their families.

I had no choice but to accept the offered hand. She insisted on chatting for a while, told me how much she respected the surgeon and, although at 28 I was sure I was too old for her taste, Savile invited me to dinner. Even though he was a big star, I declined the offer and got away from him as quickly as I could. He exuded a dangerous evil.

As for Rolf Harris, I interviewed him on Woman’s Hour. At the time I was looking forward to it, but as soon as I met him face to face, I felt something was wrong. His cheerful friendliness struck me as false and set off alarm bells. I couldn’t stand the man.

The level of cruelty and sexual abuse by these three men was appalling. I have no doubt that there were colleagues and managers at the BBC, at Stoke Mandeville and Broadmoor hospitals where Savile preyed on his victims, as well as at Al Fayed’s Harrods department store, who knew or suspected what these men were doing, but said nothing.

The BBC’s investigation into Al Fayed’s broadcast last week gathered evidence that Harrods not only failed to intervene, but helped cover up allegations of abuse. The store’s current owners said they were “totally appalled” by the allegations and that victims had been let down, and issued an apology.

As for the numerous victims, I can fully understand why they were seduced by the idea that such a well-known man would do them no harm. Al Fayed would visit Harrods to identify young female assistants he found attractive, who were then promoted to work in his upstairs offices. Who wouldn’t jump at such an opportunity to advance their career?

Gifts of £500 cash, gifts of jewellery, offers to become a personal assistant and spend time in a palatial apartment on Park Lane or trips to Paris to stay in a palace once owned by a former king must have seemed tremendously exciting to a girl in her 20s.

While I fully understand why so few of the young women had the courage to report what had happened to them (he was litigious and fabulously wealthy), I find it appalling that he was protected by numerous employees who valued their own jobs too much to do anything about it.

Two young women who tried to use the law to stop him were dismissed by the Crown Prosecution Service, which could not find enough evidence to charge him.

Of course it is too late to punish Al Fayed, but those in positions of power who turned a blind eye must be exposed and punished.

I’m sure there are other seemingly untouchable sexual predators who continue to get away with it. We need to protect and believe young women who report abuse and maybe we should all develop a radar like mine. If a man is rich, charming and famous, he may not be as safe as he would like us to believe.

Like Mariella, next time I’ll be driving!

Poor Mariella Frostrup. She spent a fortune on a first-class ticket on the Great Western Railway from Tiverton to Paddington, so full that she had to spend the two-hour journey sitting on the floor next to the toilet.

Clearly nothing has changed since 40 years ago when I started my West Coast Sunday trips from my home near Macclesfield to London where I worked. I sat on the ground many times. In October I have to go to Cornwall for the Annual General Meeting of my charity Refuge4Pets. I will go by car, which I think is Mariella’s plan for the future.

Rugby is not a game for young people

I spent hours of my life standing on the touchline watching my teenage son play rugby with my heart in my mouth. Thankfully, he never suffered a serious injury, but we all know horror stories.

Nearly 300 former rugby players are in the midst of a landmark legal battle against World Rugby, the RFU and the Welsh Rugby Union for allegedly failing to protect them from brain injuries.

This is no consolation to the parents of a child who loves the game. My son will never forgive me for saying this, but the spine and brains of young people are too valuable to risk for a game.

I know councils are short of money, but why should they make money by fining people who inadvertently leave things on the pavement for others to pick up? I once left a pile of shoes on the street which disappeared within 24 hours. This is not illegal dumping as councils claim, but free cycling.

It is the children who suffer if the mothers are in prison

At last, a government minister is speaking in my language on the issue of women and prisons. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood told the Labour Party conference that she will reduce the female prison population.

This is much what Baroness Corston said in her 2007 report, and what I have said after my experience of seeing women and their children devastated by sentences for relatively minor and non-violent offences. I cannot agree with Mahmood’s ambition to close all women’s prisons. Some provision must be retained to house dangerous and violent women, who are estimated to make up around a third of those currently incarcerated. But for those convicted of minor offences, prison is not the answer.

Even a short sentence often means that children lose their mother and their home.