Canadians among women accusing ex-Harrods owner Mohamed Al-Fayed of sexual abuse

WARNING: This article may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone affected by it.

There are several Canadians among the women who say they were sexually abused by Mohamed Al-Fayed, the late owner of Harrods, while serving as employees at the luxury department store in London, CBC News has learned.

At least one Canadian woman is expected to be at a news conference in London on Friday, sources say.

The BBC reported the women's allegations in a documentary and podcast released Thursday, after an investigation heard from more than 20 former Harrods employees who say the billionaire assaulted or raped them. Some were as young as teenagers when they say the alleged incidents took place.

Legal action against Harrods is expected to be outlined at the media conference by the legal team featured in the BBC documentary, high-profile American attorney Gloria Allred and at least one survivor.

Al-Fayed, who died in 2023 at the age of 94, faced some sexual assault claims while he was still living but the BBC says these new allegations are of an "unprecedented scale and seriousness."

"It's mad that even today I am petrified of someone who is no longer alive," one of the women, who began working for Al-Fayed in 2007 as his personal assistant, told the BBC.

"It started off verbal and groping and progressed pretty quickly."

Al-Fayed, right, stands with Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr Al Thani inside Harrods in London on May 8, 2010. (Alastair Grant/The Associated Press)

She and other female employees were also subject to invasive medical exams, the woman said. These examinations were pitched as company perks but many employees report never seeing the results, although they were always shared with Al-Fayed.

The alleged abuse was not limited to London. Victims reported multiple incidents in Paris, St. Tropez and Abu Dhabi.

Some ex-employees say Al-Fayed forced his way into their room on business trips. Others say he would carry out his exploits on Harrods property, promoting employees whom he found attractive to work in his offices at the department store.

Gained prominence in British society

Born in Alexandria, Egypt, before moving to London in the 1970s, Al-Fayed came to prominence in British society in 1985 when he took over Harrods.

He gained further notoriety when his son, Dodi Fayed, began dating Diana, Princess of Wales, shortly before they both died after a car crash in Paris in 1997.

Al-Fayed, whose enterprises included the Hôtel Ritz in Paris and helping to fund the Oscar-winning film Chariots of Fire, was introduced to younger generations through the Netflix series The Crown.

Al-Fayed speaks to the media as he arrives at the High Court in London on Feb. 18, 2008. Al-Fayed took the stand at a coroner's inquest into the 1997 deaths of his son, Dodi Fayed, and Diana, Princess of Wales. (Kirsty Wigglesworth/The Associated Press)

His charming, philanthropic portrayal in the series offended many survivors who say he was "vile," and "a monster," the BBC reported.

In an online statement, Harrods said it is "utterly appalled by the allegations of abuse" and that the business failed its employees.

"The Harrods of today is a very different organization to the one owned and controlled by Al-Fayed between 1985 and 2010," the business said.

The statement went on to detail a reparations process that was put in place in 2023 for victims of Al-Fayed "to settle claims in the quickest way possible, avoiding lengthy legal proceedings for the women involved."

In a brief email to CBC News, the business said it stood by the response in its statement but added that it will "welcome any new information regarding allegations relating to the issues raised in the BBC documentary."

For anyone who has been sexually assaulted, there is support available through crisis lines and local support services via the Ending Violence Association of Canada database.

For anyone affected by family or intimate partner violence, there is support available through crisis lines and local support services.

If you're in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911.