Sat Sep 21 11:39:58 UTC 2024: ## Over 150 New Accusations Emerge Against Late Billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed

**LONDON** – A legal team representing women alleging rape and sexual assault by the late Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed has received over 150 new enquiries, including accusations from women who worked at his former department store, Harrods.

The surge in allegations follows a BBC documentary and podcast released last week, which featured accounts from multiple women accusing Al-Fayed of sexual assault, including five who alleged rape. The legal team, representing 37 women, confirmed the new enquiries included “a mix of survivors and individuals with evidence” about Al-Fayed.

The lawyers likened the scale and nature of the case to claims made against fallen figures like Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein, noting that some of the alleged assaults involved girls as young as 15 and 16.

The legal team is also bringing claims against Harrods, alleging the department store enabled “systematic abuse” of its employees, many of whom were hired as Al-Fayed’s personal assistants and secretaries, over a period of 25 years.

The alleged assaults took place at Al-Fayed’s London apartments, residences in Paris, and during trips abroad from Saint-Tropez to Abu Dhabi.

Harrods, which Al-Fayed sold in 2010, expressed “utter dismay” over the allegations and has received new enquiries since the BBC investigation. The department store has implemented a form on its website for victims to complete and stated it has “an established process” for those affected to claim compensation.

The legal team is also representing women who were employed by the Ritz hotel, another property owned by Al-Fayed.

Meanwhile, a former manager of the women’s team at Fulham FC, owned by Al-Fayed until 2013, revealed that players were “protected” from Al-Fayed, acknowledging that the late billionaire had a preference for “young, blonde girls.”

Fulham FC has expressed deep concern and is investigating whether anyone at the club was affected by Al-Fayed’s alleged behavior.

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