Harrods owners revealed in wake of Mohamed Al Fayed rape scandal

Ex-Harrods proprietor Mohamed Al Fayed is accused of having raped astatine slightest 5 of his employees and sexually abused astatine slightest 100 during his tenure arsenic the luxury section store's boss

The owners of Harrods person apologised aft amid allegations of intersexual maltreatment against pistillate unit by the erstwhile holder of the luxury London section store Mohamed Al Fayed came to airy - but who are they and however agelong person they owned it?

More than 37 women came guardant to accused Fayed of rape and intersexual maltreatment during his ownership of the Knightsbridge section store. Fayed, who died past twelvemonth aged 94, was likened to serial intersexual abusers Jimmy Saville, Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein by barrister Dean Armstrong KC who is representing the women.

Fayed sold Harrods to the concern institution of the Qatari royal household successful a woody that is understood to beryllium worthy astir £1.5 cardinal pounds successful 2010. It is present tally arsenic the institution Harrods UK Ltd and Companies House lists Daniel Jonathan Webster and James Philip Healey arsenic its existent caput and director, respectively.

After the allegations were made public, Harrods said successful a statement: "We are utterly appalled by the allegations of maltreatment perpetrated by Mohamed Al Fayed. These were the actions of an idiosyncratic who was intent connected abusing his powerfulness wherever helium operated and we condemn them successful the strongest terms.

"We besides admit that during this clip arsenic a concern we failed our employees who were his victims, and for this we sincerely apologise. The Harrods of contiguous is simply a precise antithetic organisation to the 1 owned and controlled by Al Fayed betwixt 1985 and 2010, it is 1 that seeks to enactment the payment of our employees astatine the bosom of everything we do.

"This is why, since caller accusation came to airy successful 2023 astir historical allegations of intersexual maltreatment by Al Fayed, it has been our precedence to settee claims successful the quickest mode possible, avoiding lengthy ineligible proceedings for the women involved.

"This process is inactive disposable for immoderate existent oregon erstwhile Harrods employees. While we cannot undo the past, we person been determined to bash the close happening arsenic an organisation, driven by the values we clasp today, portion ensuring that specified behaviour tin ne'er beryllium repeated successful the future.”

A BBC documentary claimed Fayed raped 5 women and attempted to soundlessness his alleged victims. At slightest 100 women are feared to person been sexually abused by him implicit decades successful what was described arsenic 1 of the worst cases of firm intersexual exploitation that "perhaps the satellite has ever seen."

Barrister Bruce Drummond antecedently told a property conference: "This is 1 of the worst cases of firm intersexual exploitation that surely I, and possibly the satellite has ever seen. It was perfectly horrific and I can't accent that connection enough."

He added: "This should ne'er person happened and Harrods indispensable judge work for the harm these women person suffered."