I had evidence of Fayed's crimes. But our archaic libel laws, the Leveson Inquiry, and even Netflix, helped keep it hidden for years...

Reading backmost implicit the transcript of the disturbing interrogation I did with Mohamed Al Fayed’s PR antheral Max Clifford successful 2008, I consciousness physically sick.

I was making a documentary revealing however almighty operators similar Clifford were capable to screen up damaging stories astir their clients. But thing could person prepared maine for the bonzer revelations helium made astir Al Fayed.

There was nary mode that a wily manipulator similar Clifford would spell connected grounds to admit his malign power connected the media truthful we approached him for a mean sit-down interrogation astatine his palatial mansion successful Surrey.

Afterwards, we made a amusement of putting distant the cameras and Clifford, who had represented the Harrods brag for 15 years, started to truly unfastened up.

What helium didn’t cognize was that I had a concealed camera filming wrong my garment button. Talking consecutive into it, helium described however the ‘randy aged sod’ who was ’76 going connected 18 erstwhile it comes to young ladies’ was regularly groping his employees.

Revealing that immoderate of Al Fayed’s victims were arsenic young arsenic 17, Clifford implied that they had gone ‘looking for it’.

‘There’s an atrocious batch of young ladies that are highly blessed to pamper rich, randy aged [men]’, helium continued, describing however 2 girls of this property ‘knew afloat good erstwhile helium offered them a occupation arsenic a buyer, that that was what was involved. To maine – nary problems’.

As the BBC documentary, Al Fayed: Predator astatine Harrods, screened past nighttime makes clear, it was precise acold from the lawsuit that determination were ‘no problems’.

Exploring claims that Al Fayed was a serial rapist, it featured interviews with 20 women who worked astatine Harrods during the 25 years that helium owned the store.

Many described the nonstop incidents alluded to by Clifford, and my daze astatine proceeding their brave grounds was compounded by the realisation that respective attacks took spot aft I secretly recorded him backmost successful 2008.

If Britain’s arcane libel laws had not prevented america publishing the afloat unedited portion astatine the clip past possibly immoderate of these women could person been spared further anguish.

We archetypal knew we had a occupation erstwhile I screened the footage of Clifford’s unthinkable admissions to our lawyers. Their faces went white, and they told america we would beryllium insane to see these quotes successful our movie Starsuckers.

We didn’t person capable autarkic grounds to beryllium Al Fayed was blameworthy of these crimes, and successful the inevitable libel lawsuit we would beryllium crushed.

Many producers had really made interaction with immoderate of Al Fayed’s victims, but they were understandably excessively frightened to spell connected record.

The caller BBC documentary includes harrowing grounds of Al Fayed’s fixers intimidating victims who were considering speaking out, including threats against their parents.

Britain’s libel strategy is stacked against journalists trying to exposure wrongdoing, and Al Fayed had a fierce estimation for trampling implicit anyone trying to clasp him to account.

Reluctantly we had to bleep retired his sanction successful the last mentation of Starsuckers erstwhile it was released successful cinemas successful 2009.

Clifford went to utmost lengths to suppress the film, and deluged america with ineligible threats from a apical instrumentality steadfast threatening to contented an injunction against the release.

We stood steadfast and the movie gained immense vulnerability and was shown connected Channel 4 respective times – but ever with the important quotes astir Al Fayed’s enactment crimes removed.

A mates of years later, different accidental presented itself to exposure Al Fayed’s unspeakable secrets. The Leveson Inquiry was established successful 2011, purporting to beryllium a fearless nationalist probe into the culture, practices, and morals of the British Press.

Asked by the enquiry to springiness evidence, I wrote a elaborate connection and included each the unpublished quotes from Clifford astir however helium covered up Al Fayed’s intersexual maltreatment astatine Harrods.

They didn’t person to instrumentality my connection for it – enquiry lawyers visited my offices to perceive to the tapes to beryllium Al Fayed said each word. But I was horrified to spot that erstwhile my witnesser connection was published, the inquiry’s squad redacted each notation of Al Fayed.

This was expected to beryllium a judge-led nationalist inquiry, with highly wide powers and ineligible protections.

It had indisputable grounds of the astir almighty PR antheral successful the UK boasting astir however helium suppressed stories astir a serial enactment offender. But alternatively than exposure these crimes, the enquiry acted successful a mode that protected the transgression – who was present escaped to perchance transportation connected offending.

I spent the adjacent fewer years trying and failing to get the communicative out. Another accidental was missed successful the aftermath of the Jimmy Savile scandal, erstwhile Clifford himself was arrested for historical allegations of intersexual battle against women and girls arsenic young arsenic 15.

I was visited by officers from the Operation Yewtree probe into the enactment maltreatment allegations against Savile and others. They watched my undercover footage with amazement and took the clips arsenic grounds to beryllium utilized successful the lawsuit against Clifford. In April 2014 helium was jailed for 8 years but died aft a bosom onslaught successful 2017. Al Fayed’s sanction wasn’t mentioned successful immoderate of the reporting of the trial.

I sent my undercover footage to respective nationalist newspapers, explaining that it had been utilized arsenic transgression evidence, but cipher dared to people it.

Al Fayed was inactive alive, and each quality outlet was terrified of him weaponising the ineligible strategy against them and ruining them successful libel damages. And truthful the communicative seemed destined to stay successful the shadows.

Ironically it was Netflix that inadvertently yet helped stroke the ungraded open. Last twelvemonth I watched bid 5 of The Crown successful utter disbelief, arsenic Peter Morgan’s publication portrayed Al Fayed arsenic a lovable, genial eccentric who dazzles his lad Dodi’s woman Princess Diana with his wit and charm.

In occurrence 3, Diana sidles up to Al Fayed astatine a racing lawsuit and they enslaved implicit being dismissed arsenic societal outsiders. Al Fayed insists that Diana calls him ‘Mou Mou’ and, giggling, she agrees and appears to autumn nether his spell.

This country is implicit fabrication of course, similar beauteous overmuch everything other successful the Crown, but it’s presented arsenic being based connected truth. It means that an full procreation of Netflix viewers person been misled into believing that Al Fayed was a gentle rogue with a bosom of gold.

Those down the bid assertion ignorance. A speedy online hunt would person shown that these allegations astir Al Fayed person been swirling astir for years. But it was decided to contiguous Al Fayed successful a affirmative light, and disregard the unspeakable crimes of which he’s been accused.

The Crown was fixed a rapturous reception by the remainder of the media, and I didn’t spot a azygous nonfiction questioning the wholly mendacious practice of Al Fayed.

Watching that revolting occurrence of The Crown again present feels similar a existent transgression documentary, arsenic they filmed astatine respective cardinal locations wherever it’s alleged Al Fayed carried retired his attacks.

I wasn’t the lone idiosyncratic who watched this sickeningly misleading play successful horror. Several of Al Fayed’s victims, appalled astatine however Netflix had sanitising his reputation, felt compelled to travel forwards to the BBC investigation.

The BBC documentary shows respective of them watching The Crown and castigating the amusement for covering up Al Fayed’s enactment crimes. Netflix should region these episodes instantly and apologise to the victims.

Al Fayed died successful August past twelvemonth aged 94 and ne'er saw justice. His decease apt helped let these allegations to yet beryllium heard. After all, the dormant can’t sue. But helium should person been stopped agelong ago.

Instead the media and ineligible constitution colluded to support this grotesque fig and allowed him to transportation retired his despicable crimes for years.