Mohamed al-Fayed’s son has said the multiple allegations of sexual abuse made against his late father have “thrown into question the loving memory I had of him”. The former Harrods owner has been accused of multiple rapes and sexual assaults by dozens of women, who claimed he preyed on young women working at the company. Omar al-Fayed said he was “horrified” and said that while his father had been a “wonderful dad”, this did not blind him from an “objective assessment of circumstances”.
Barristers representing alleged victims of Fayed said there are now “60 survivors” and that they have “credible evidence of abuse” at Fulham FC , which the billionaire owned alongside the luxury department store. It follows a BBC investigation that saw 20 women make claims against Fayed, who died at the age of 94 last year. They include five accusations of rape with some women claiming they were subjected to “intrusive and wholly unnecessary” gynaecological tests to work for the businessman.
In a statement to Sky News, his son, an environmental entrepreneur, said: "The extent and explicit nature of the allegations are shocking and has thrown into question the loving memory I had of him. "How this matter could have been concealed for so long and in so many ways, raises further disturbing questions." He continued: "Throughout history, people in positions of power have all too often been shielded from the consequences of their actions, and justice has frequently been.