Harrods CEO Expresses Regret Over Al Fayed Abuse Allegations

The chief executive of Harrods has issued his initial personal apology concerning accusations of sexual abuse leveled against the department store’s deceased former proprietor, Mohamed Al Fayed. When contacted by the BBC at Harrods’ main office, Michael Ward stated: “I am very dreadfully sorry for what has happened with Al Fayed.” Numerous women have come forward, asserting that the billionaire subjected them to rape or sexual abuse. Law enforcement authorities are currently examining certain allegations, while Harrods is concurrently resolving hundreds of claims. Mr. Ward, who has served as Harrods’ managing director since 2005, collaborated with Al Fayed until 2010 and had previously asserted his unawareness of any abuse. The Qatar Investment Authority, Harrods’ current proprietor, indicated that an internal investigation is in progress and chose not to disclose whether it had identified or disciplined any present employees. Al Fayed, who passed away last year at the age of 94, faced accusations of sexual assault from over 20 women featured in a BBC documentary and podcast released in September. Since the broadcast of the documentary “Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods,” hundreds of individuals have directly contacted the BBC regarding Harrods and Al-Fayed. Over 70 of these communications originated from women who provided the BBC with their testimonies of abuse by Al-Fayed, encompassing sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape. In a September statement, Mr. Ward announced his resignation from his position as a trustee of the Royal Ballet and Opera, pending the ongoing review at Harrods. He further stated that he was unaware of the abuse at Harrods and that Al Fayed “presided over a toxic culture of secrecy, intimidation, fear of repercussion and sexual misconduct”, characterizing it as a “shameful period”. He indicated that no official complaints had been presented to him during his tenure with Al Fayed, despite rumors of Al Fayed’s conduct being in the “public domain”. The BBC had sought an interview with Mr. Ward to ascertain what senior Harrods staff knew about the allegations at the time, but this request was declined. When approached by the BBC at the Harrods headquarters, Mr. Ward stated that Harrods had “nothing further to add.” The alleged abuse reportedly occurred at Fulham FC, the Ritz Hotel Paris, Harrods, and other properties owned by Al Fayed. Harrods had previously informed the BBC that it was in the process of resolving over 250 compensation claims filed by Al Fayed’s victims. This number has since increased to more than 290. The upscale department store operates a compensation program for former employees who assert they were assaulted by Al Fayed, distinct from the ongoing legal proceedings against the store. The podcast “World of Secrets, Season 4: Al Fayed, Predator at Harrods” is available on BBC Sounds. For listeners outside the UK, it can be accessed on various podcast platforms. Al Fayed held ownership of Harrods from 1985 to 2010. The store’s current proprietors have previously expressed being “appalled” by the sexual abuse allegations and have been conducting an investigation since 2023 into whether any existing staff members were implicated. Attorneys representing some of the victims stated they are preparing a claim against both the Al Fayed estate and Harrods, anticipating that hundreds more claims would be submitted to the department store and that the situation would “snowball and snowball”. In 2008, accusations of indecent assault involving a 15-year-old girl were brought against Al Fayed, which received media coverage at the time. Al Fayed refuted these claims, and the Crown Prosecution Service opted not to proceed with charges due to contradictory evidence. The BBC disclosed last week that the Metropolitan Police had been informed of sexual assault allegations against Al Fayed a decade prior to its acknowledged timeline. According to the retailer, human rights advocate Dame Jasvinder Sanghera is scheduled to meet “as many survivors as possible” and assist them with the compensation procedure. The BBC invites individuals with information pertaining to this story to make contact via email at MAFinvestigation@bbc.co.uk. A contact number should be provided if one is amenable to speaking with a BBC journalist. This content is copyrighted by the BBC in 2024, with all rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external websites and provides information regarding its policy on external linking.