Al Fayed’s French victims call for investigation

French prosecutors are being urged to motorboat an probe into allegations of rapes and intersexual battle by Mohammed Al Fayed astatine the Paris Ritz, and into the “cult-like” edifice absorption that enabled his attacks.

The BBC understands much than 5 women person travel guardant with caller claims astir Al Fayed’s predatory behaviour successful France since the BBC archetypal reported the rape allegations successful a documentary past week.

A lawyer representing Kristina Svensson, who spoke retired successful the documentary astir the maltreatment she suffered astatine the Ritz, said she plans to inquire the Paris prosecutor’s bureau aboriginal adjacent week to motorboat an investigation.

The Ritz did not remark connected the calls for an investigation.

Ms Svensson, who was enforcement adjunct astatine the Ritz betwixt 1998 and 2000, said: “We’re successful capable of a rage that thing is going to halt us."

In the documentary, Al Fayed: Predator astatine Harrods, the BBC revealed aggregate allegations of rape against the precocious billionaire proprietor of London’s astir celebrated section store, on with grounds that the institution not lone failed to intervene, but helped to screen up the alleged abuse.

Ms Svensson said that Al Fayed cultivated an ambiance “very overmuch similar 1 of a cult, 1 of a gang, of a mafia” successful each his establishments, which besides included the Ritz.

“There was a vow of omerta,” she said, referring to the mafia’s codification of silence.

She said she believed “at slightest 50” radical who had worked with her astatine the Paris Ritz betwixt 1998 and 2000 knew astir Al Fayed’s behaviour.

“People request to prime their broadside and determine if they were culpable successful immoderate mode and chose to stay silent. They request to recognize that the ineligible teams we person volition permission nary chromatic unturned. I person meticulous proof, and I cognize others do,” she said.

Ms Svesson said: “I deliberation a afloat probe is needed. Specific people… enabled this civilization to exist.”

Anne-Claire Le Jeune, a lawyer who has worked connected galore cases of intersexual abuse, including the Jeffrey Epstein case, said that if determination are a batch of women involved, the authoritative “has the motivation work to unfastened an probe to effort to fig retired precisely however this maltreatment could happen”.

Ms Le Jeune said different pistillate had contacted her straight successful caller days alleging maltreatment by Al Fayed. French prosecutors are nether nary work to unfastened an probe but some Ms Le Jeune and Ms Svensson are hoping accrued media attraction successful France whitethorn punctual different women to travel forward.

It is not known if immoderate complaints astir Al Fayed were made to French authorities portion helium was alive.

“I deliberation determination are a batch of managers who nary longer enactment determination who would beryllium acceptable to talk to constabulary astir what happened,” Ms Svensson told the BBC.

Ms Lejeune said: “A batch of radical could person known what happened (at the Ritz). Some of them couldn’t talk retired and I tin recognize that. But others possibly tried to assistance Al Fayed to perpetrate his crimes. So that’s wherefore it is precise important to place them.”

The Ritz hotel, which is inactive owned by the Al Fayed family, has lone made 1 little connection since the BBC documentary aired, successful which it did not code immoderate circumstantial allegations but said it “strongly condemns immoderate signifier of behaviour that does not align with the values of the establishment.”

The hotel, which is located beside the French Justice Ministry successful Place Vendome successful the bosom of the capital, remains a Paris landmark. It is possibly champion known successful caller decades arsenic the spot wherever Princess Diana ate her past repast earlier her death, successful a car beside her spouse - Dodi Al Fayed, Mohamed’s lad - connected 31 August 1997.

Ms Svensson said her determination to talk retired had brought her “much joy,” adding that galore of Al Fayed’s victims were present successful their 50s and are “at a constituent successful beingness wherever we’re capable to muster the courage” and “don’t privation our daughters and grandchildren” to endure akin abuse.