five women have taken a step forward to publicly denounce having been raped by Mohamed Al Fayedformer owner of Harrods department store, while they worked for him. According to the complaints, the abuse occurred both in the warehouses and in the tycoon’s private apartment. In addition, 20 former employees have revealed that they were victims of sexual harassment and mistreatment for decades.
One of the complainants recounts the moment she was raped: “I remember feeling his body on me, his weight. Just hearing him make those noises. And… I just went somewhere else in my head. He raped me“Another woman, who was a teenager when she was attacked by Al Fayed, said: “He was a monster, a sexual predator with no moral compass.” […] “He terrified us all.”
Among the most disturbing details of the allegations are the medical examinations to which employees have been subjected upon his hiring, which included testing for sexually transmitted diseases. One of the victims revealed in an interview with Channel 4 News: “They gave me a full medical test, including HIV and everything you can imagine. It was really strange.”
Some women tried to speak out at the time, but were discouraged by the businessman’s power and influence. “They told me there was no chance he would be convicted. It was too powerful“, one of them comments. Today, after Al Fayed’s death, the victims are demanding justice and for their stories to be heard, in the hope that the tycoon’s crimes will not be forgotten.
