Mohamed Al-Fayed labelled a ‘monster’ and compared to Savile and Epstein

Lawyers representing the women who claim they were raped former Harrods tycoon Mohamed Al Fayed have said he was ‘monster’ and ‘as sick as Jimmy Savile’.

Five women have come forward saying they were raped by the late billionaire.

More than 20 ex-employees have also claimed they were sexually assaulted at the store or in one of his many properties.

Speaking at a press conference in London today, barrister Dean Armstrong KC said he had ‘never seen a case as horrific as this’.

‘This case combines some of the most horrific elements of the cases involving Jimmy Savile, Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein,’ he said.

‘Savile because in this case, as in that, the institution, we say, knew about the behaviour.

‘Epstein because in that case, as in this, there was a procurement system in place to source the women and girls – as you know there are some very young victims.

‘And Weinstein, because it was a person at the very top of the organisation who was abusing his power.

‘We will say plainly, Mohammed Al Fayed was a monster.’

One woman, who said Al Fayed raped her at his Park Lane home, said: ‘I made it obvious that I didn’t want that to happen. I did not give consent. I just wanted it to be over.’

Another says she was a teenager when she was raped at the Mayfair address.

She said he treated all the staff at Harrods like his ‘playthings’, adding: ‘Mohamed Al Fayed was a monster, a sexual predator with no moral compass whatsoever.

‘We were all so scared. He actively cultivated fear. If he said ‘jump’ employees would ask “how high”.’

The current owners have said they are ‘utterly appalled’ and apologised for failing the women who came forward.

One woman told the broadcaster she resigned from Harrods on the grounds of sexual harassment after being allegedly raped by Al Fayed.

In response, the shop said she could leave and it would pay a sum of money in exchange for her shredding all evidence and signing a non-disclosure agreement.

Harrods said: ‘We are utterly appalled by the allegations of abuse perpetrated by Mohamed Al Fayed.

‘These were the actions of an individual who was intent on abusing his power wherever he operated and we condemn them in the strongest terms. We also acknowledge that during this time as a business we failed our employees who were his victims and for this we sincerely apologise.

‘The Harrods of today is a very different organisation to the one owned and controlled by Al Fayed between 1985 and 2010, it is one that seeks to put the welfare of our employees at the heart of everything we do. 

‘While we cannot undo the past, we have been determined to do the right thing as an organisation, driven by the values we hold today, while ensuring that such behaviour can never be repeated in the future.’

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