Because the airing of the damning BBC documentary, attorneys representing those who have been sexually assaulted by Mohamed Al Fayed say they’ve had ‘over 150 enquiries’ from survivors and people with proof in opposition to the previous Harrods proprietor.
And now one other alleged sufferer has bravely shared her story.
Margot McCuaig, an award-winning documentary filmmaker and novelist, stated that ‘studying about this monster Al Fayed jogs my memory of the time I met him’.
Whereas presenting for Celtic TV at Fulham’s Craven Cottage, she alleges that the Egyptian businessman ‘put his palms on me’.
However the unsettling interplay continued. Ms McCuaig remembers Al Fayed saying: ‘Come to my penthouse and I’ll present you my pyramid.’
‘Absolute creep,’ Ms McCuaig stated.
Award-winning documentary filmmaker and novelist Margot McCuaig (proper) recalled the time she met Al Fayed (left) at Fulham
She alleges that the Egyptian businessman touched her, earlier than saying he would present her his ‘pyramid’ if she went to his penthouse
The filmmaker backed up her claims on X with a sequence of photographs displaying Al Fayed touching her on the arm.
Ms McCuaig, who’s at present pursuing a PhD on the College of Stirling, seems to be uncomfortable as Radio 1 DJ ‘Diddy’ David Hamilton watches on.
Within the feedback, Ms McCuaig stated: ‘The man within the background laughing at his crass remark reveals how a lot the folks round him enabled his behaviour.’
Al Fayed purchased Fulham FC for a reported £30million in 1997.
Within the early 2000s, employees on the West London soccer membership reportedly turned conscious that the billionaire ‘appreciated younger, blonde women’, prompting them to place protections in place for the feminine gamers.
Gaute Haugenes, who managed the staff from 2001 to 2003, advised the BBC that ladies have been refrained from Al Fayed to make ‘positive that conditions could not happen’.
He added that it was not a ‘largest shock’ to listen to of the rape accusations in opposition to Al Fayed.
5 ladies allege they have been raped by Al Fayed, the previous proprietor of Harrods who died final yr on the age of 94, with dozens of others alleging sexual misconduct.
Barrister Bruce Drummond, a part of the authorized staff representing 37 alleged victims in a civil case in opposition to Harrods, advised BBC Radio 4 on Saturday: ‘That is the worst case of company sexual exploitation of younger ladies that I’ve ever seen, and I feel in all probability the world has ever seen.’
Mr Drummond added that his authorized staff was working ‘very carefully’ with Gloria Allred, seen as a stalwart lawyer in ladies’s rights circumstances within the US, as a result of the assaults are additionally alleged to have taken place in America.
He stated a number of the survivors come from Malaysia, Dubai, Canada and France, whereas the Ritz Resort in Paris, which Al Fayed as soon as owned, had additionally been the scene of alleged assaults.
Mr Drummond stated on the programme: ‘It’s extremely a lot a world case, it is not simply the UK. It occurred all around the world.’
Ms McCuaig seems to be uncomfortable with the internaction as Radio 1 DJ David Hamilton (centre) watches on
Ms McCuaig shared her story on X, previously Twitter
Mohamed Al Fayed, who died final yr aged 94, is accused of raping and assaulting a number of ladies throughout his time as Harrods proprietor from 1985 to 2010
Al Fayed was additionally the chairman of Fulham FC between 1997 and 2013
US lawyer Gloria Allred listens as considered one of Mr Al Fayed’s accusers, Natacha (proper), who featured within the documentary, speaks throughout a press convention this week
Harrods stated earlier this week in a press release: ‘We’re completely appalled by the allegations of abuse perpetrated by Mohamed al Fayed.
‘These have been the actions of a person who was intent on abusing his energy wherever he operated and we condemn them within the strongest phrases.
‘We additionally acknowledge that in this time as a enterprise we failed our staff who have been his victims and for this we sincerely apologise.
‘The Harrods of as we speak is a really totally different organisation to the one owned and managed by Fayed between 1985 and 2010, it’s one which seeks to place the welfare of our staff on the coronary heart of all the pieces we do.’
Harrods added that it had been a ‘precedence’ to settle claims since ‘new data got here to gentle in 2023 about historic allegations of sexual abuse by Fayed’.
In relation to that assertion, Mr Drummond stated it was ‘completely inconceivable’ the present house owners of Harrods, the state of Qatar, couldn’t have recognized about any ‘excellent claims or liabilities’ in opposition to the enterprise on the time of buying it in 2010.
Maria Mulla, one other barrister within the authorized staff, advised Instances Radio that she had heard tales of girls at Harrods ‘being put into cabinets’ when Al Fayed was strolling spherical so ‘they would not be noticed’.
He has been accused of raping 5 ladies throughout his 25-year tenure on the luxurious retail outlet (pictured), with at the least 15 different ladies saying they have been sexually assaulted by him
Legal professionals representing ladies claiming they have been sexually assaulted by Mohamed Al Fayed say they’ve ‘had over 150 new enquiries’ because the airing of a damning BBC documentary
Mohamed Al Fayed pictured through the Dodi Al Fayed and Diana Memorial unveiling at Harrods
Mohamed Al Fayed pictured alongside Diana, Princess of Wales at a charity occasion held at Harrods in London in 1996
Their feedback got here as a former Harrods worker, who wished to stay nameless, advised BBC Radio 4’s At this time Programme of ‘enablers’ on the luxurious retailer who have been ‘as responsible as Al Fayed as a result of they weren’t simply passive onlookers’.
The lady, known as Catherine within the programme, stated she labored for Harrods in a ‘very junior function’ when she was 21.
She stated: ‘They have been really serving to to ship woman after woman into a complete nightmare.
‘I feel that some people must be recognized and that they need to be questioned into their collusion.
‘It’s primarily grooming, because the proof suggests, and they need to face justice.’
Catherine detailed for the primary time her personal expertise with Al Fayed, which stirred up sturdy feelings for her, having heard the testimonies of others this week.
‘I imply it was fairly visceral, my blood froze,’ she stated when listening to their allegations.
Catherine recalled how she had been working one weekend on the luxurious division retailer when she was contacted by Al Fayed’s private assistant.
‘There have been some musicians who had been enjoying within the HMV concession. The PA obtained in contact with me and stated: “Look the boss actually needs to see them, however he is not going to have the ability to get all the way down to the store ground. May you convey them as much as his workplace to carry out?”‘
Catherine stated she ‘adopted the directions’, earlier than being requested to briefly return downstairs with the band to the meals corridor after which returning upstairs to his workplace.
It was throughout this second second in Al Fayed’s presence that she discovered herself turning into ‘uncomfortable’.
Mohamed Al Fayed (proper) with son Dodi at a celebration for the movie Hook in 1992
Mohamed Al Fayed attends the Issa present throughout London Trend Week Spring Summer season 2015 on September 15, 2014
Gemma (pictured), who labored as his private assistant between 2007 and 2009, says she was raped by Al Fayed throughout a piece journey to Paris
‘We went into a bit of room on the again, simply him and I, and he stated: ‘Come work in my workplace – one yr right here and you possibly can be a purchaser and work in style.’
‘I stated that is nice, however I am really actually glad within the division I am working in, that is what I’ve studied for at college.
‘He then held my hand and requested if I had a boyfriend. I politely laughed and stated sure.
‘He stated, ‘no you do not have a boyfriend, I am your boyfriend, you do not want that donkey’, which was unusual.
‘I used to be feeling increasingly uncomfortable at this level. He then kissed me [on the forehead], obtained out his pockets and handed me £300 in money.
‘He stated “take into consideration the job provide and are available again subsequent week.”
‘I shot out of there as rapidly as I presumably may.’
Catherine continued: ‘I do know others have stated about this fatherly method [he had], however I’ve boundaries. It was horrible and [he was] holding my hand, being in very shut proximity, it was not regular.’
She claims she advised all to her male line supervisor the next Monday, however ‘he simply brushed it off’ and advised her: ‘That is simply what he is like.’
Catherine returned the money Al Fayed had given her days beforehand and obtained ‘no response’ from him.
She stated: ‘Trying again now, there have been in all probability a whole bunch of girls who made the identical judgement name I did – and thank God as a result of like me they may nonetheless carry a lighter, however everlasting scar of that Harrods’ expertise.’
Not lengthy afterwards, Catherine handed in her discover and was referred to as in to see Al Fayed once more.
She believed this was ‘an excessive response given how junior and replaceable I used to be at that time.’
Reflecting years later nevertheless, she puzzled whether or not Al Fayed was attempting to find if she would ‘converse out’ about what occurred.
Mohamed Al Fayed pictured with the Queen in 1997
Sources inside Harrods have stated the enterprise has accepted vicarious legal responsibility for the conduct of Al Fayed for the aim of settling claims of alleged victims delivered to its consideration since 2023, reaching settlements with the overwhelming majority.
In its assertion on the BBC Documentary, Al-Fayed: Predator At Harrods, which aired on Thursday, Harrods stated it was ‘a really totally different organisation to the one owned and managed by Al Fayed.
Al Fayed was the boss at Harrods between 1985 and 2010.
The shop added that ‘since new data got here to gentle in 2023 about historic allegations of sexual abuse by Al Fayed, it has been our precedence to settle claims within the quickest method doable, avoiding prolonged authorized proceedings for the ladies concerned’.
Chatting with LBC, Dean Armstrong KC, who anticipates there shall be extra ladies coming ahead with allegations, agreed that others had ‘enabled’ Al Fayed.
He stated: ‘It was the amenities and assets of the physique company that have been getting used to successfully allow this alleged behaviour.
‘That’s one thing which should be addressed very urgently. There was a scientific failure of company duty.’
Armstrong added: ‘That systematic failure is on the shoulders of Harrods.’