Mohamed Al-Fayed: Did he abuse 111 women and girls?

The extent of the abuse scandal involving the late department store magnate Mohamed Al-Fayed (1929-2023) is shocking Great Britain. As the Metropolitan Police in London have now announced, the former Harrods owner is said to have sexually abused a total of 111 women and girls over four decades. At least that’s how many reports were received by the authorities. The youngest affected person is said to have been only 13 years old.

According to the report, the crimes are said to have occurred between 1977 and 2014. 21 alleged victims had already reported to the police during Al-Fayed’s lifetime. After a BBC documentary about the attacks was broadcast in September, 90 more were added. “I recognize the courage of every single victim who has come forward, often after years of silence,” said Commander Steve Clayman of the Metropolitan Police.

As former employees of the luxury department store Harrods confirmed, Al-Fayed is said to have installed a sophisticated system of surveillance cameras and tapped telephones. According to witness statements, he used this technique to intimidate employees. The former deputy security chief reported that it was his job to check the recordings. There are currently five investigations underway against people close to Al-Fayed who may have made the attacks possible.

British police have also launched an internal review. The aim is to investigate whether previous investigations against Al-Fayed may not have been sufficiently followed up or whether bribery even took place. Two women had already filed a complaint in 2008. “While these cases date back more than a decade and we cannot change the past, we are committed to learning from possible failures,” a police spokesman said.

After the BBC documentary, former professional footballer Ronnie Gibbons (44) also spoke out. The former Fulham FC captain reported two cases of abuse by Al-Fayed at Harrods department store. He was abusive in his office twice, as Gibbons told The Athletic section of the New York Times. He forced himself on her and tried to kiss her on the mouth. The entrepreneur also let her sit on his lap and stroked and groped her. “I was used,” she explained through tears. Gibbons was 20 years old at the time of the alleged assaults.

As early as 1995, Vanity Fair magazine reported on sexual misconduct against employees. Al-Fayed responded at the time with a lawsuit, according to which Vanity Fair carried out further investigative research. After the death of his son Dodi in 1997, the paper suspended its efforts “out of respect for the grieving father”; In response, Al-Fayed withdrew his lawsuit.

Mohamed Al-Fayed became an international celebrity because of his son Dodi’s (1955-1997) relationship with Princess Diana (1961-1997), who died together in a tragic car accident in Paris. Following his son’s death, Al-Fayed senior repeatedly blamed the British royal family for the tragic event. He suspected that there was a huge conspiracy behind the fatal accident, according to which his son and Diana had been deliberately killed by the secret service MI6 and the British royals.

In his opinion, certain circles could not have tolerated the fact that Diana might have been pregnant with his son for racist reasons, which would have given the heir to the British throne, Prince William (42), a half-brother or sister with an Arabic background. Throughout his life, he was unable to provide even the slightest evidence for any of the allegations.

The Egyptian-born businessman died in September 2023 at the age of 94. In addition to the London department store Harrods, he also owned, among other things, the Ritz Hotel in Paris and the football club FC Fulham.