When she told her line manager about her incident, it was dismissed – and she regards it as one example of a wider culture of “collusion” at Harrods which enabled Fayed’s behaviour.
Her comments have been echoed by other accusers who have said many people in Harrods knew about Fayed’s alleged behaviour.
Catherine’s testimony comes as more women speak out about Fayed’s behaviour.
New details have also emerged of failed efforts by police and prosecutors to hold Fayed to account during his life.
A legal team representing many of the women the BBC has spoken to outlined their case against Harrods on Friday.
The defense attorneys for the scores of female complainants call that “inconceivable” and contend that the owners would have carried out due diligence investigations had they not learned of any allegations before 2023, when they purchased the company in 2010.
Attorneys claim that Fayed was assaulted in the US, Canada, France, Malaysia, and Dubai, among other places.
“This is not just a UK issue; it’s a global one as well. Lawyer Bruce Drummond told the BBC that it had happened all over the world.
According to Catherine, the London flagship store of Harrods is where she had her experience.
Her experience was discounted when she brought it up to her line manager, and she sees it as one instance of a larger “collusion” culture at Harrods that condoned Fayed’s actions.
I described the situation to [my line manager]. , and he just kind of dismissed it, saying, “Oh, you know, that’s just the way he is,” she said on the BBC’s Radio 4 Today program.
One weekend, she’d been “in a very junior role” when she was ordered to bring store musicians up to Fayed’s office, whereupon he demanded her prompt return.
After that, she continued, “I went back up and we went into a little room at the back, just him and me.”.
She stated that Fayed had invited her to work in his office, but she had declined the offer since it did not fit with her expertise.
“After that, he held my hand and inquired as to whether I had a boyfriend. I responded, sort of politely, by laughing.
“It was weird, and I’m getting uncomfortable by the minute, but he said, ‘No, you don’t have a boyfriend, I’m your boyfriend, you don’t need that donkey.'”. “.”.
She claimed that after that, Fayed gave her a kiss on the forehead, gave her some time to consider the position, and gave her £300 in cash, which she promptly gave back along with a formal rejection of the offer.
He gave me a forehead kiss. I have boundaries, but I am aware that many people have brought up this idea of taking a fatherly approach. It was awful, she remarked, adding that it wasn’t normal for her to be holding my hand and being so close.
In an effort to strengthen the allegations made against Fayed, she claims to have gotten in touch with the BBC this week.
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Employees have accused Mohamed Al Fayed of rape multiple times.
More women report to the BBC that the former head of Harrods sexually assaulted them.
During their employment at London’s upscale department store Harrods, over two dozen women have come forward to the BBC to report that the businessman sexually molested or assaulted them.
At least 37 women who have filed civil lawsuits are being represented by an attorney team. With the publication of the BBC’s investigation last week, they claim to have had 150 additional inquiries.
In contrast to the rape accusations, Catherine said she felt her experience “feels like absolutely nothing,” but she believed it was crucial to accumulating evidence of a pattern of behavior and culture. ****.
She criticized the working atmosphere at Harrods, claiming that it had allowed these kinds of incidents to occur frequently. The department store has refuted her accusations. The new owners of Harrods, who took over this week, claimed that the business ran differently from how it had under Fayed, who owned the store from 1985 until 2010.
Catherine stated to the BBC: “Young women were recruited to work in his office or on the shop floor, and it was kind of known that he behaved in a certain way and preyed upon them.”.
“And that appeared to happen without any sort of inquiry. “. .
Other accusers have echoed her remarks, claiming that a large number of people in Harrods were aware of Fayed’s purported actions. His behavior at Fulham Football Club, which he formerly owned, has also drawn criticism.
“In my opinion, there were enablers at Harrods during that period, and since they weren’t merely bystanders, they bear the same guilt as Fayed. They were genuinely guiding girl after girl into an utter nightmare,” Catherine remarked.
The identification and questioning of “individuals” regarding their collusion is what she has demanded.
“As the evidence indicates, it is essentially grooming,” she continued. “They should face justice.”.
As more women come forward regarding Fayed’s actions, Catherine’s testimony is being heard. There are also new details about the unsuccessful attempts throughout Fayed’s life to hold authorities, including the prosecutors, accountable.
On Friday, a group of women’s rights advocates who have spoken with the BBC about their cases against Harrods presented their arguments.
The new owners of the business have stated: “We strongly condemn these actions, which were the product of an individual who was determined to abuse his power wherever he operated. ****.
“We sincerely apologize for the failure to provide for his victims during this time, which we also acknowledge. “.”.
One of the women’s attorneys, Mr. Drummond, said the amount of new claims was “huge.”.
This represents the height of corporate sexual exploitation of adolescent girls. Probably the most seen in history. “.”.
