Three former Harrods employees accuse Salah Fayed, brother of Mohamed Al-Fayed, of rapes committed between 1989 and 1997, according to testimonies collected by the BBC. These attacks allegedly took place in London, the south of France and Monaco, at a time when the Fayed brothers ran the famous London store.
One of the complainants, Helen, testifies openly. She says that in 1989, when she was 23 years old, she was allegedly raped by Mohamed Al-Fayed in a hotel room in Dubai. Shortly after, she was transferred to become the assistant of Salah Fayed, whom she accuses of having drugged her before raping her. “He (Mohamed Al-Fayed) shared me with his brother,” she says.
An investigation relaunched by the police
Another woman claims to have been raped by Salah Fayed during a trip to Monaco. A third accuses the latter of having raped her in London and Monaco in 1997, while she was working at Harrods at the age of 19. Salah Fayed died in 2010 from pancreatic cancer, while Mohamed Al-Fayed died in August 2023.
London police said they were aware of the accusations against Salah Fayed. “We remain committed to exploring all reasonable lines of inquiry, carefully reviewing new information and identifying any allegations that may lead to criminal prosecution,” Commander Stephen Clayman said.
Support and calls for justice
Testimonies have multiplied since the broadcast of a BBC documentary in September, recounting numerous accusations of rape and sexual assault against Mohamed Al-Fayed. In addition, another victim told the New York Times that the Fayeds’ younger brother, Ali, 80, was aware of the “trafficking” of women. Police said they are reviewing 21 testimonies filed before Mohamed Al-Fayed’s death to determine whether further investigations are possible.
The current management of Harrods has expressed its support for the women testifying to this violence. “We support the courage of these women and encourage them to seek compensation and explore all possible avenues to obtain justice,” the group said.
