London (AFP) – Upmarket London department store Harrods on Tuesday said it was in discussions with more than 250 women to settle claims of sexual misconduct by former owner Mohamed Al-Fayed. The disclosure came as the daughter of former England footballer Paul Gascoigne said she was assaulted by the late Egyptian billionaire when she worked at the store as a teenager but was threatened about speaking out.
Fayed has been accused of raping and sexually harassing scores of women, earning comparisons with high-profile sex offenders such as the Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and US financier Jeffrey Epstein. The slew of allegations came to light in a BBC documentary aired last month. Harrods, which is under new ownership, said in a statement: “Since 2023, Harrods settled a number of claims with women who alleged historic sexual misconduct by Fayed. Since the airing of the documentary, so far there are over 250+ individuals who are now in the Harrods process to settle claims directly with the business.”
Fayed, who died last year aged 94, was one of Britain’s most well-known businessmen. His son Dodi was killed in a 1997 Paris car crash alongside Princess Diana, the former wife of King Charles III. Claims since that he was also a serial sexual predator have prompted police to re-examine their files for formal complaints against the tycoon and led to growing numbers of women initiate formal legal action. Last weekend, the former captain of Fulham Ladies football team, where Fayed was chairman between 1997 and 2013, said he assaulted her at his Harrods office.
On Tuesday, Bianca Gascoigne told Sky News that she joined Harrods as a teenager and Fayed initially portrayed himself as a kindly figure, as her father battled addiction in the public eye. “I literally felt quite safe in his presence early doors,” she told the broadcaster. But she said she was left “gobsmacked” and “shell-shocked” when Fayed turned up unannounced at a Harrods apartment where she was staying and sexually assaulted her. Gascoigne, 37, said she did not speak out at the time because Fayed told her she would lose her job if she did. “I just got really scared,” she added.
© 2024 AFP
