New allegations have been made about former Harrods boss Mohamed Al Fayed by a former employee who says the line manager “sneaked” when she complained about inappropriate advances.
The woman, named Catherine, contacted the BBC following reports this week from another woman who said she was sexually assaulted by the late millionaire.
Catherine said she was a 21-year-old Harrods employee when she was called to Fayed’s office where he made “unfair” advances including kissing her on the forehead, inviting her to work in the office and saying she was his boyfriend.
The current owner of Harrods said earlier this week he was “deeply shocked” by the allegations and a “failed victim”.
He said he was not aware of any allegations before 2023, but lawyers for dozens of female complainants said they were “unthinkable” and said the owners would have done due diligence when they bought the business in 2010.
Lawyers say Fayed’s attacks took place all over the world – including in the US, Canada, France, Malaysia and Dubai.
“It’s a very global case, it’s not just the UK. It’s happening all over the world,” lawyer Bruce Drummond told the BBC.
As for Catherine, she said her experience took place at Harrods flagship store in London.
When she told her line manager about the incident, she was rebuffed – and she sees it as one example of a wider culture of “collusion” at Harrods that has fueled Fayed’s behaviour.
“I explained to (my line manager) what was going on … and he had no idea and was like ‘oh you know, what’s he like'”, he told the BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme.
He was “in a very junior role” during one weekend he was told to bring the shop musician to Fayed’s office, after which he asked him to return.
“So I went back upstairs and went into the little room in the back, just him and me,” he said.
Fayed invited him to work in his office, he said – an offer he declined because it was not in his area of ​​expertise.
“He then took my hand and asked if I had a girlfriend and I politely laughed and said yes.
“And he said, ‘No, you don’t have a boyfriend, I’m your boyfriend, you don’t need that ass’ – which is weird and obviously I’m more uncomfortable at this point.”
He said Fayed then kissed him on the forehead, told him to think about the job and handed him £300 in cash – which he returned shortly after along with the official ban from the post.
“He kissed me on the forehead. I know many people have mentioned all this about this father’s approach, but I have limits. It’s terrible, and you know, holding my hand, at such a close distance, it’s not normal. ” he said.
He said he contacted the BBC this week to add weight to the allegations against Fayed.
More than 20 women have told the BBC that the businessman assaulted or raped them while they were working at luxury store Harrods in London.
The legal team represents at least 37 women involved in civil lawsuits. They said they had received 150 new inquiries since the BBC investigation was published last week.
Catherine said she felt her experience compared to rape allegations “feels like nothing – but I think it’s important in the kind of build up that is evidence of behavioral patterns and culture.”
He condemned the workplace environment at Harrods saying the conduct was ongoing – a claim denied by the department store. Harrods was owned by Fayed from 1985 to 2010 and is now under new ownership – which said this week the company was parting ways with Fayed.
Catherine told the BBC: “You know he behaves in a certain way and preys on young women and recruits young women to work on the shop floor or work in his office.
“And there seems to be no question.”
His comments have been echoed by other accusers who has said many people at Harrods know about the alleged behavior of Fayed. Concerns were also raised about his conduct at Fulham Football Club, which he once owned.
“I think that there are people in Harrods at the time who are enablers and they are as guilty as Fayed because they are not just passive onlookers. They are actually helping girl after girl into a total nightmare,” said Catherine.
He called for “individuals” to be identified and “questioned about collusion”.
“This is an improvement as the evidence shows and they must face justice,” he added.
Catherine’s testimony comes as more women speak out about Fayed’s behaviour. New details have also emerged about failed attempts by police and prosecutors to capture Fayed while he was still alive.
The legal team representing many of the women the BBC spoke to limit the case against Harrods there.
The store’s new owner said: “This is the act of someone who intends to abuse his power everywhere and we punish him in the strongest possible way.”
“We also recognize that we have failed the victims and we sincerely apologize.”
Mr Drummond, one of the lawyers for the women, said the number of allegations that had emerged was “enormous”.
“This is the worst case of corporate sexual exploitation of young women that … perhaps the world has ever seen.”
