Mohamed Al-Fayed, the former boss of luxury department store Harrods, has been accused by multiple women of sexual assault and rape. Despite receiving evidence against him, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has declined to bring charges on two occasions.
The allegations were first made public in a BBC documentary released on Thursday, which featured numerous women who worked at Harrods accusing Fayed of sexual assault. Five women alleged that they were raped by the Egyptian billionaire.
Thirty-seven women are currently being represented by a legal team, who are accusing Harrods of enabling the “systematic” abuse of young women and girls over the past 25 years. Lawyers say they have received over 150 new enquiries since the documentary was released.
In response to the allegations, the CPS has referred to two prior instances when Fayed was accused of sexual offences. In 2008, he was accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl, and in 2013, he was accused of raping a woman. The CPS reviewed evidence in both cases but declined to bring charges, citing a lack of a “realistic prospect of conviction”.
A CPS spokesperson said, “To bring a prosecution the CPS must be confident there is a realistic prospect of conviction – in each instance, our prosecutors looked carefully at the evidence and concluded this wasn’t the case.”
The CPS has also provided early investigative advice to the Metropolitan Police on allegations against Fayed three times between 2018 and 2023. The Met has acknowledged that it was aware of various allegations of sexual offences made over the years and has promised to investigate further if new information comes to light.
Harrods, which was sold by Fayed in 2010, has expressed its “utter disgust” at the allegations.
