Harrods looking into current staff over Al Fayed allegations

Harrods says it is looking into whether immoderate existent members of unit were progressive successful immoderate of the allegations against the store's erstwhile owner, Mohamed Al Fayed.

One erstwhile Harrods employee, known arsenic Jessica, has told BBC News a manager, who inactive works astatine the store, failed to analyse erstwhile she complained astir Al Fayed's inappropriate behaviour.

Jessica alleges she was pushed against a partition and sexually assaulted by Al Fayed successful 2008, erstwhile she was 22.

The store says determination is an ongoing interior reappraisal which includes "looking astatine whether immoderate existent unit were progressive successful immoderate of the allegations either straight oregon indirectly".

It besides says it is successful nonstop connection with the Metropolitan Police.

Al Fayed, who died past twelvemonth aged 94, is accused of aggregate counts of rape and attempted rape by respective women who worked for him - galore of whom felt incapable to study what had happened until recently.

Jessica, not her existent name, said aft she was sexually assaulted she went to HR to kick and to manus her announcement in.

She said she felt excessively intimidated by Al Fayed to item the intersexual battle successful the meeting, but she did kick astir his inappropriate behaviour, including him giving her ample sums of money.

She said she was near successful nary uncertainty the radical successful the gathering knew determination was a intersexual constituent to her complaint.

And she told the BBC 1 of the radical successful the country inactive worked astatine Harrods successful a elder role.

She said she felt threatened and forced to motion a papers that she believes was a non-disclosure statement by "multiple radical successful the room".

"There was nary shock, nary empathy... and it was made precise wide they were not going to speech further connected the topic," she said.

Jessica is considering taking ineligible enactment but had ne'er spoken astir her experiences until the BBC documentary astir Al Fayed was aired past week.

"I consciousness rather powerfully that the radical who facilitated this request to beryllium brought to justice," she said.

"And that is portion of the crushed wherefore I americium present speaking retired astir it.

"Those radical I tin spot are inactive moving either wrong the institution oregon successful different companies.

"I person nary uncertainty they person to person been afloat alert of what was happening.

She added: "Yes evidently [Al Fayed] is gone, but his sanction tin inactive beryllium tarnished for what helium did to each of these people. So I bash consciousness similar a definite magnitude of justness tin beryllium brought."

In abstracted claims, Jessica said different manager astatine Harrods "cherry-picked" young girls for Al Fayed and "facilitated" his predatory behaviour towards them.

Jessica said she was "pimped" by the pistillate manager, who she said felt Al Fayed would beryllium attracted to her, and organised for him to conscionable her.

She said: "It's rather wide to spot the actions that happened to enactment maine successful beforehand of him came straight from her."

Harrods' existent owners person antecedently said they were "utterly appalled" by the allegations against Al Fayed and had been seeking to settee claims "in the quickest mode possible" since caller accusation came to airy successful 2023.

When BBC News enactment Jessica's communicative to Harrods, the store confirmed determination was an ongoing interior reappraisal - though it did not accidental erstwhile it had started.

"The Harrods colony process was designed successful consultation with autarkic outer counsel and experts successful idiosyncratic wounded litigation," the connection said.

"All claims settled to day and moving forwards volition beryllium based connected the guidance of these outer individuals to guarantee swift and impartial outcomes for the victims.

"As portion of our owed diligence determination is an ongoing interior reappraisal (supported by outer counsel) including looking astatine whether immoderate existent unit were progressive successful immoderate of the allegations either straight oregon indirectly.

"In addition, the Harrods committee has established a non-executive committee of the committee to further see the issues arising from the allegations.

"Harrods is besides successful nonstop connection with the Metropolitan Police to guarantee we are offering our assistance with immoderate of their applicable inquiries."