Harrods investigating if current staff were involved in allegations against former owner

On the back of a damning investigative exposé by the BBC, British department store Harrods has said it is currently in the midst of an ongoing internal review in regards to allegations made against its late former owner, Mohamed Al Fayed.

Note: This article contains brief descriptions of sexual assault that some may find disturbing

Speaking to the media outlet, the retailer said it was “looking at whether any current staff were involved in any of the allegations either directly or indirectly”, adding that it was in direct communication with the Metropolitan Police.

The allegations against Al Fayed, who died last year, were detailed in an exposé by the BBC, in which ex-employees, most remaining anonymous, claimed that Al Fayed had either raped or sexually assaulted them during his time at the helm of the store.

One former employee, known in the report as Jessica, had said that a manager who still works at Harrods had failed to investigate when she complained about Al Fayed’s inappropriate behaviour.

According to her allegations, Al Fayed had pushed Jessica against a wall and sexually assaulted her in 2008, when she was 22. At the time, Jessica said she went to HR to complain and hand in her notice, but felt too intimidated to detail the assault in the meeting.

She did bring forth details about Al Fayed’s inappropriate behaviour, however, yet had felt threatened and forced to sign a document she believed to be a non-disclosure agreement by “multiple people in the room”.

Jessica is one of over 20 ex-employees that came forward as part of the BBC’s exposé, each with accounts of sexual assault and rape against Al Fayed.

Harrods has since confirmed that an internal review has been ongoing since 2023, and a non-executive committee had been formed to address issues arising from the allegations.

The company added: "The Harrods settlement process was designed in consultation with independent external counsel and experts in personal injury litigation.

"All claims settled to date and moving forwards will be based on the guidance of these external individuals to ensure swift and impartial outcomes for the victims.”