Harrods releases fresh statement in wake of Mohamed Al-Fayed sex crime allegations after woman claims staff who failed to investigate still work at the store

Harrods has said it is investigating whether any current members of staff were involved in allegations of sexual offences against former boss Mohamed Al Fayed.

The store issued a new statement after a woman who used to work there claimed staff failed to investigate when she complained about Al Fayed’s inappropriate behavior.

Jessica, not her real name, told the BBC she was pushed against a wall and sexually assaulted by the Egyptian billionaire in 2008 at the age of 22.

She said she felt threatened when she was made to sign a non-disclosure agreement during a subsequent meeting with her bosses.

And Jessica claimed that one of the people in the room still works at Harrods in a senior position.

Mohamed Al Fayed pictured in a doorman uniform outside Harrods

It is said that some of Fayed’s attacks took place at his Park Lane estate in London

Harrods has now confirmed that it is conducting an internal investigation into whether ‘current members of staff were directly or indirectly involved in the allegations’.

The spokesperson also told the BBC: ‘In addition, the Harrods board has established a non-executive committee to further investigate the issues arising from the allegations.

‘Harrods is also in direct contact with the Metropolitan Police to ensure we offer our assistance with any relevant investigations.’

MailOnline has contacted Harrods for further comment.

Lawyers representing women who allege they were sexually abused by Al Fayed say they have now received more than 150 requests since a damning BBC documentary aired last week.

Five women claim they were raped by Al Fayed, while dozens of others claim they were sexually abused.

The new investigations involve a “mix of survivors and individuals with evidence about Al Fayed”.

Lawyer Bruce Drummond, part of the legal team representing 37 alleged victims in a civil case against Harrods, told BBC Radio 4 on Saturday: “This is the worst case of corporate sexual exploitation of young women that I have ever seen, and I don’t think the world has ever seen anything as bad.”

Al Fayed is accused of raping and assaulting multiple women during his time as owner of Harrods, from 1985 to 2010

Mohamed Al Fayed pictured next to Diana, Princess of Wales, at a charity event at Harrods in London in 1996

Lawyers representing women who claim they were sexually abused by Al Fayed say they have had “more than 150 new investigations” since a damning BBC documentary aired

He said some survivors came from Malaysia, Dubai, Canada and France. The Ritz Hotel in Paris, which Al Fayed once owned, was also said to have been the scene of alleged attacks.

Maria Mulla, another lawyer in the legal team, told Times Radio she had heard stories of women at Harrods being “put in cupboards” while Al Fayed walked around so “they wouldn’t be spotted”.

The comments came after a former Harrods employee, who wished to remain anonymous, told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme that “facilitators” at the luxury retailer were “just as guilty as Al Fayed, because they were not just passive bystanders”.

The woman, referred to on the programme as Catherine, said she worked at Harrods in a “very junior role” when she was 21.

Harrods said in a statement earlier this week: ‘We are deeply shocked by the allegations of abuse made by Mohamed al Fayed.

‘These were the actions of an individual who sought to abuse his power wherever he operated. We condemn these actions in the strongest possible terms.

‘We also recognize that as a company we have failed our employees who were victims of this act during this time and for that we offer our sincere apologies.

Mohamed Al Fayed pictured with the Queen in 1997

‘The Harrods of today is a very different organisation to the one Fayed owned and led between 1985 and 2010. It is an organisation that puts the wellbeing of its employees at the heart of everything we do.’

Harrods added that it was a “priority” to resolve the claims as “new information came to light in 2023 regarding historical allegations of sexual abuse by Fayed”.

Sources within Harrods have said the company has accepted liability for Al Fayed’s conduct in order to settle claims brought to its attention by alleged victims since 2023. Settlements have been reached with the vast majority of victims.

In a statement about the BBC documentary Al-Fayed: Predator At Harrods, which aired on Thursday, Harrods said it was “a very different organisation to the one owned and led by Al Fayed between 1985 and 2010”.

The store added that “since new information came to light in 2023 regarding historical allegations of sexual abuse by Al Fayed, our priority has been to resolve the claims as quickly as possible, avoiding lengthy legal proceedings for the women involved.”