Mohamed Al Fayed rape allegations explored in new BBC documentary
Egyptian businessman Mohamed Al Fayed, whose son Dodi died with Princess Diana in a car crash in Paris in 1997, has been accused of rape by several women, a new BBC documentary claims.
In “Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods”, out today on BBC iPlayer and BBC Two, more than 20 women have come forward with allegations of rape, attempted rape, sexual assault and violence against women.
The majority of the women making the accusations are former employees of Harrods, the luxury British department that Al Fayed owned for 26 years. They worked there between the late 1980s and 2000 and the attacks are said to have taken place in London and Paris, where he owned the Ritz hotel and a historic villa that once belonged to Edward VIII.
Al Fayed died last year at the age of 94.
According to the documentary, which is accompanied by a ‘World of Secrets’ podcast, also from the BBC, police investigated a rape allegation in 2015 but did not press charges. One woman said she went to police in 2018 but was told Al Fayed, who suffered from dementia, was too old to be prosecuted.
Thirteen women told the BBC they had been sexually assaulted at an apartment complex in Park Lane, where Al Fayed often offered accommodation to female workers who had to work late. Four said they had been raped.
A further nine women said they had been sexually assaulted in Paris, with five women claiming attempted rape, while one woman said she had been raped.
The documentary also includes testimony from colleagues, including a senior manager at Harrods, who said Al Fayed’s behavior was ‘known throughout the company’.
According to the BBC, Harrods not only failed to intervene, but also helped “cover up allegations of sexual abuse”. In July 2023, they say, Harrods began settling claims with some women.
A number of women are now preparing legal claims against the department store.
In a statement, Harrods told the BBC that they are “utterly shocked by the allegations of abuse committed by Mohamed Al Fayed”, which they “condemn in the strongest possible terms”.
“We also recognize that as a company we have failed our employees, who were his victims, during this time and for this we sincerely apologize.”
Al Fayed sold Harrods to Qatar’s royal family in 2010 for a reported £1.5 billion. After the death of his son Dodi, he installed a memorial to Dodi and Diana in the store, including a wine glass said to be from their last dinner together, a ring that he claimed Dodi had proposed to the princess and a copper statue of the couple. holding a bird.
Due to his son’s involvement with the princess, Al Fayed was a key character in the fifth and sixth seasons of ‘The Crown’, with an entire episode devoted to following his rags to riches story.
Some women who told the BBC about their experiences with Al Fayed were unhappy with his portrayal in the Netflix series. “It’s not fair that he has to die with the legacy he left behind,” one said.
“Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods” is directed by Erica Gornall (“Ghislaine Maxwell: Making of a Monster”). Mike Radford is executive producer, while producer is Cassie Cornish-Trestrail.
