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1 week ago
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Source: AFP
Five women who worked arsenic nannies oregon formation attendants for precocious Harrods proprietor Mohamed Al-Fayed had their lives "ruined" by years of abuse, during which they were subjected to "intrusive" aesculapian checks, their lawyer told AFP.
The five, who were not employed by the iconic London section store, are warring for justness and claiming compensation from the property of the Egyptian billionaire, who died aged 94 successful 2023.
Dozens of women person travel guardant to accidental they were sexually abused, harassed and raped by Al-Fayed, arsenic good arsenic being subjected to gynaecological examinations and tests for sexually transmitted infections, since a BBC probe was aired successful September.
Most of these alleged victims were young women moving connected the store level oregon arsenic assistants astatine Harrods, the famed luxury store Al-Fayed owned from 1985 to 2010.
London instrumentality steadfast Leigh Day is representing 27 women, astir of whom were Harrods employees.
However, 5 of the women worked arsenic nannies for the Al-Fayed household oregon arsenic formation attendants for his backstage airline, Fayair.
The 5 faced "serious intersexual maltreatment and harassment" betwixt 1990 and 2010, the lawyer representing them, Richard Meeran, told AFP successful an interrogation Monday.
He revealed each 5 women allege they were besides made to acquisition "intrusive" and "inappropriate" gynaecological examinations and humor tests -- akin to the ones antecedently reported by erstwhile Harrods employees.
These tests "were wholly inappropriate for the jobs that they were doing," said Meeran.
Beyond Harrods
The interaction of their attraction "has been devastating... passim their lives," helium added.
"Many of their lives person been ruined. Their relationships person been ruined. For galore of them, it's affected their employment arsenic well."
Last week, Harrods announced a money to supply compensation to alleged victims who had a "sufficiently adjacent connection" to the store oregon to Al-Fayed's relation there.
According to Meeran, "it is vitally important that the property is held responsible" arsenic well.
"For those women who were not connected with Harrods, it's important that they person a way to securing redress for their injuries," said Meeran.
If the estate's lawyers judge liability for the actions allegedly perpetrated by Al-Fayed, negotiations could effect successful compensation for the 5 women.
The instrumentality steadfast representing Al-Fayed's estate, Fladgate LLP, did not instantly respond to AFP's petition for comment.
While compensation is an "important" portion of the ineligible process, "proper accountability and justness should spell beyond that", said Meeran.
Many of his clients and different alleged victims are calling for a nationalist enquiry into the scandal.
'Cover-up'
Among the organisations being probed is London's Metropolitan police, accused of failing to decently analyse abuses erstwhile they were reported.
According to Meeran, the police, arsenic good arsenic doctors who conducted the examinations, were portion of a "cover-up".
"He couldn't person done this for truthful agelong and to truthful galore radical without the complicity of the organisation (Harrods)," said Meeran.
"There was a full strategy that enabled this to happen."
In 2008, Al-Fayed was accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old miss and prosecutors reviewed grounds successful 2009. In 2015, helium was investigated implicit claims of rape 2 years earlier.
In some instances, the Crown Prosecution Service did not bring immoderate charges.
Leigh Day is besides representing astatine slightest 1 unfortunate who accused Al-Fayed's member Salah Fayed, who died successful 2010, of intersexual abuse.
"The standard of this is unprecedented, the standard and duration of it," said Meeran.
Allegations against Al-Fayed person been made by erstwhile employees astatine Harrods, Fulham Football Club, and the Ritz edifice successful Paris, which helium besides owned.
The women were "treated arsenic portion of his empire," said Meeran.
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Source: AFP
