Scandal around al-Fayed: Five women complain about sexualized violence!

Scandal around al-Fayed: Five women complain about sexualized violence!

Fulham, Vereinigtes Königreich - On March 31, 2025, it becomes known that five women who worked for the airline Fayair and other Mohamed al-Fayed companies want to take legal action against the deceased businessman. The women accuse al-fayed of serious sexual attacks, harassment and abuse. Her lawyer, Richard Meeran, reported that some of those affected were "insulted and threatened" during the attempt to make their experiences public. The lawyers strive for claims for damages for their clients and call for an independent public investigation to legally responsible for the abuse. According to Kleinezeitung.at , the allegations have been brought into focus since September 2022, especially after the charisma of a BBC documentary With the title "Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods".

This documentation led to an increase in further allegations, especially from former Harrods employees. In this context, the interest association Justice for Harrods Survivors has received over 400 reports that not only affect Harrods, but also alleged abuse at FC Fulham and in the Ritz Hotel in Paris. Harrods announced that 250 people had contacted to negotiate potential extrajudicial agreements.

experiences and support of those affected

The current situation has drawn attention to the serious allegations. More than 400 alleged victims or witnesses have contacted lawyers. A lawyer from the group "Justice for Harrods Survivors" described the case as the worst case of company abuse of women worldwide. The allegations refer to repeated attacks over a period of more than 30 years in various facilities operated by Al Fayed, including Harrods, the Ritz in Paris and FC Fulham. These incidents concern those affected by various countries such as the United Kingdom, the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia and Asia, such as bbc.com reported.

The group Justice for Harrods Survivors has now initiated the formal procedure in order to achieve legal clarification of the claims. You can expect hundreds of other claims to Harrods in the coming weeks. Dean Armstrong KC, a lawyer of the group, announced an agreement with a larger legal law firm that should take on the processing of the claims. This law firm has knowledge of this area and the necessary financial support for the legal dispute.

context and legal measures

The continued debate about sexual abuse in the workplace comes at a time when the European Commission is planning practical guidelines to combat sexual harassment. This initiative aims to protect the dignity of all employees. The code of conduct is aimed at employers, unions and employees and contains recommendations for the definition of inappropriate behavior and measures against the controllers. Employers should issue fundamental agreements to non-debt sexual harassment and introduce measures to support those affected, according to the information on EUR-Lex.eu.