Getty PicturesMohamed Al Fayed’s son has stated he’s “horrified” by allegations of sexual abuse made towards his late father, which have “thrown into query the loving reminiscence I had of him”.
Dozens of ladies have accused the previous Harrods proprietor – who died final 12 months aged 94 – of a number of rapes and sexual assaults.
Legal professionals hoping to deliver a case towards the division retailer are actually representing 60 ladies, after a BBC investigation revealed the claims of over 20 ladies final week.
Omar Al Fayed stated his father had been a “fantastic dad”, however added that this “doesn’t blind me from an goal evaluation of circumstances”.
In a public assertion, the 36-year-old environmental entrepreneur stated: “The extent and express nature of the allegations are surprising and has thrown into query the loving reminiscence I had of him.
“How this matter might have been hid for therefore lengthy and in so some ways, raises additional disturbing questions.”
He continued: “All through historical past, folks in positions of energy have all too usually been shielded from the results of their actions, and justice has ceaselessly been delayed or denied to those that have suffered…
“I firmly consider that anybody discovered responsible of such reprehensible actions, together with having had facilitated, enabled or helped cowl up such actions, irrespective of their standing, have to be held accountable.
He went on to say: “The alleged victims and public deserve full transparency and accountability.”
Omar Al Fayed expressed help for “any professional investigation into these allegations”, including: “I’ll proceed to help the rules of fact, justice, accountability, and equity, no matter the place that journey could lead.
“Nobody is above the regulation, and all victims deserve their day in court docket.”
He additionally criticised the BBC for its in depth reporting on the allegations.
Getty PicturesOmar Al Fayed was appointed to the Harrods board of administrators in 2006 and remained on it till his father offered the enterprise in 2010.
The division retailer’s present house owners have stated they have been “totally appalled” by the allegations and have condemned his actions “within the strongest phrases”.
They acknowledged that through the time Harrods was owned by Mohamed Al Fayed, “as a enterprise we failed our staff who have been his victims and for this we sincerely apologise”.
They added: “The Harrods of right now is a really totally different organisation to the one owned and managed by Al Fayed between 1985 and 2010, it’s one which seeks to place the welfare of our staff on the coronary heart of all the things we do.”
Harrods stated it has a compensation scheme for ex-employees who say they have been attacked by Mohamed Al Fayed, and that it has already reached monetary settlements with the bulk of people that have approached it since 2023.
Victims and former workers have stated that he preyed on younger ladies employed by the corporate, threatening them towards talking out about his behaviour.
Legal professionals representing a lot of them stated the billionaire used surveillance in Harrods and intrusive medical checks to undertake “systematic abuse”.
They’ve additionally stated that there was “credible proof” of cases of abuse going down at different companies and properties as soon as owned by Al Fayed.
