A woman has told the BBC she was subjected to a "sickening" sexual assault by former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed after being invited to his London flat for a work meeting. The woman, who the BBC is calling Melanie, believes police were close to arresting him over her allegations just days before he died in August 2023. A BBC investigation published on Thursday revealed that more than 20 women said they were sexually assaulted by the billionaire.
Five said they were raped. Melanie is one of a growing number of additional ex-Harrods employees to tell the BBC they were attacked since the documentary and podcast Al-Fayed: Predator at Harrods was released. The BBC investigation gathered evidence that during Fayed's ownership, Harrods not only failed to intervene, but helped cover up abuse allegations.
Melanie's testimony comes as new details emerge of failed efforts by police and prosecutors to hold Fayed to account during his life, and a legal team representing many of the women the BBC has spoken to will set out their next steps on Friday. Warning: this story contains details some may find distressing. Melanie worked at Harrods for a few years prior to 2010.
She described being hired there as a 21-year-old as a "dream job". She met Fayed - who was in his late seventies at the time - at work meetings on two occasions, before being summoned to his apartment on London's Park Lane in late 2007. Melanie says she went to the evening meeting despite the invitation "ringing the alarm.