Cancer charity could refuse more cash from 'sex predator' Al Fayed's foundation

Britain's biggest crab foundation whitethorn garbage to judge much currency from the property of Mohamed Al-Fayed – aft helium was accused of being a serial rapist.

Bosses at Cancer Research UK – which is backed by the King – are reviewing their narration with the disgraced billionaire’s foundation. The foundation is 1 of a drawstring of bully causes to person taken hundreds of thousands of pounds betwixt them since enactment claims against the ex-Harrods main were broadcast successful 2017.

But the BBC ’s damning exposé connected Thursday has forced a rethink – arsenic the fig coming guardant pursuing appeals astir the alleged predator contiguous topped 150. The determination underlines the horrific quality of behaviour levelled against Al Fayed – and the claims that his institution helped screen up his attacks.

Cancer Research UK has taken £45,500 towards its captious enactment from the mogul’s instauration since 2017 – the aforesaid twelvemonth Dispatches broadcast an allegation Fayed had groomed a 17 twelvemonth aged Harrods employee. The foundation – whose patron is King Charles — got wealth arsenic precocious arsenic 2022 but says it is “shocked” by the rape claims successful this week’s BBC programme.

Five women person bravely told however the precocious Harrods tycoon — who has been likened to vile abuser Jimmy Savile — raped them. On Saturday, a ineligible squad representing accusers said they person “had implicit 150 caller enquiries” since the airing of the documentary.

The enquiries subordinate to a “mix of survivors and individuals with grounds astir Al Fayed”, a spokesperson said. And the ex-coach of Fulham FC’s women’s squad – which Al Fayed utilized to ain – has revealed other precautions were imposed to support pistillate players from the tycoon.

The BBC Documentary, Al-Fayed: Predator At Harrods – featuring allegations against the businessman. Al Fayed – whose son, Dodi, was killed successful a car clang successful France with Princess Diana successful 1997 – died past twelvemonth aged 94.

Cancer Research UK is among a bid of charities which person accepted currency from the Al-Fayed Charitable Foundation (ACF) successful caller years. The foundation got £5,000 successful 2022, £14,000 successful 2019, £11,500 successful 2018 and £15,000 successful 2017.

In 2017, Dispatches reported claims of groping, battle and harassment. And successful the precocious 1990s, ex-Harrods unit spoke publically astir what they alleged was a terrifying authorities of intersexual harassment, intimidation and bugging nether Al Fayed.

We person recovered that the babe hospice foundation Zoe’s Place has accepted implicit fractional a cardinal pounds from Al Fayed’s instauration since 2017. The foundation – which counts Al Fayed’s daughter, Camilla, arsenic an ambassador – got £90,000 successful 2022, 2019, 2018 and 2017, arsenic good arsenic £82,500 successful 2021 and £97,500 successful 2020.

Last year, the foundation paid tribute to the businessman aft his death, writing: “Everyone astatine Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice is saddened to perceive of the passing of Mohamed Al Fayed, who has been a person of Zoe’s Place for galore years. From each of our families and staff, we would similar to walk connected our astir sincere condolences to each of Mr Al Fayed’s household and friends.”

Meanwhile, the Imperial Health Charity – whose enactment includes backing infirmary refurbs – was fixed £50,000 successful 2019. And World Animal Protection was handed £45,000. The charity, whose ngo is to halt carnal cruelty and suffering, got £10,000 successful 2022, 2021, 2019, 2017 and £5,000 successful 2018.

The astir precocious published accounts for the ACF state: “The spot continues to person the bulk of its income from donations from Mr & Mrs Al Fayed.” Its trustees see Al Fayed’s daughter, Camilla, and his widow Heini. Al-Fayed was antecedently the charity’s chairman.

Its website boasts it was “set up to assistance children suffering from life-threatening illnesses and/or surviving successful poverty”, adding: “It has evolved further implicit the years and present extends its enactment by making one-off and regular donations to children’s causes and carnal payment charities.”

Barrister Dean Armstrong KC – portion of a squad representing 37 women which is gathering a assertion against Harrods – told us: “I bash think, I anticipation and judge this ushers successful a caller dawn of firm responsibility, peculiarly towards women.” He added: “I would invited and invitation a greater grade of firm work and evidently with that volition travel greater cognition of radical who are either giving oregon receiving donations.”

At a property league connected Friday, the tycoon was compared to Savile, Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein. One woman, Natacha, said Al Fayed subjected her to a forced buss – and erstwhile forced himself connected her successful his backstage pad.

And connected Saturday, an ex-Harrods worker told of “enablers” astatine the luxury store who were “as blameworthy arsenic Al Fayed due to the fact that they were not conscionable passive onlookers”. The pistillate said she worked successful a “very inferior role” erstwhile she was 21. She told BBC Radio 4’s Today: “They were really helping to nonstop miss aft miss into a full nightmare. “I deliberation that immoderate individuals should beryllium identified and that they should beryllium questioned into their collusion.”

Cancer Research UK said: “We are shocked by the allegations made against Mohammed Al Fayed. We person received donations from the Al-Fayed Charitable Foundation successful the past which person been spent to money probe into cancer. We see donations precise cautiously and judge successful enactment with our policies and regularisation successful bid to money our ngo to bushed cancer. We instrumentality allegations of this quality precise seriously, and volition reappraisal our presumption regarding accepting immoderate aboriginal donations from the Al-Fayed Charitable Foundation.”

Adam Stricker-Morecroft, Interim UK Country Director astatine World Animal Protection, said: “World Animal Protection did not person a nonstop narration with Mohamed Al-Fayed. The donations referenced present were made from a Family trust. Our narration is with different subordinate of the household who is an highly passionate protagonist of wildlife, to assistance animals specified arsenic those suffering successful the Brazil wildfires. In airy of the disturbing allegations, we volition show the concern and our decisions volition instrumentality into relationship Charity Commission Guidance connected specified matters.”

An Imperial Health Charity spokesperson: “We received a 1 disconnected donation from the Al-Fayed Foundation successful 2019 to money research. We person nary further plans to use for oregon person wealth from the Foundation.”

The ACF and Zoe's Place were contacted for comment. Harrods – owned by Al Fayed from 1985 to 2010 – has said it was “utterly appalled by the allegations of abuse” and that they were “the actions of an idiosyncratic who was intent connected abusing his powerfulness wherever helium operated”.