Lawyers representing several women have accused Mohamed Al Fayed, the former owner of Harrods, of extensive sexual abuse during his time at the helm of the famous department store. At a press conference following the release of the BBC documentary "Al-Fayed: Predator at Harrods," legal representatives compared his actions to those of Jimmy Savile, Jeffrey Epstein, and Harvey Weinstein.
Al Fayed, who passed away last year at the age of 94, is alleged to have abused young women and girls working at Harrods during his 25-year ownership of the store. Dean Armstrong, the lead lawyer on the case, described the businessman as a "monster" who used his power to manipulate and exploit vulnerable employees. He claimed that Harrods, much like in the Savile case, was aware of the abuse but did nothing to stop it.
One of the victims, using the name Natacha, spoke about how Al Fayed preyed on young women who were financially struggling or lacked family support. She described him as “highly manipulative,” stating that many of the victims had no way of escaping his influence.
Harrods' current ownership, which took over in 2010, expressed shock and dismay over the allegations. They issued a statement condemning the abuse, but Armstrong questioned how the institution could claim ignorance when the accusations spanned decades. He called for Harrods to accept responsibility and take immediate action to set things right.
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