The boss of Harrods has personally apologised for the first time in relation to sexual abuse allegations against the store's late owner Mohamed Al Fayed. The BBC approached Michael Ward at the Harrods headquarters and he said: "I am very dreadfully sorry for what has happened with Al Fayed." Hundreds of women have alleged the billionaire raped or sexually abused them.
Police are looking into some claims and Harrods is also settling hundreds of claims. Mr Ward, who has been managing director of Harrods since 2005, worked alongside Al Fayed until 2010 and has previously said he did not know of any abuse. Harrods new owner, the Qatar Investment Authority, said an internal review was ongoing and declined to say whether it had identified or taken any action against anyone currently working there.
Al Fayed, who died last year aged 94, was accused of sexual assault by more than 20 women in a BBC documentary and podcast in September. Hundreds of people have contacted the BBC directly about Harrods and Mohamed Al-Fayed since the documentary Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods aired. More than 70 of those were from women who sent the BBC their accounts of abuse by Al-Fayed including sexual harassment, sexual assault and rape.
Mr Ward said in a statement in September that he had stepped down from his role as a trustee of Royal Ballet and Opera while the review at Harrods takes place. He added in the statement that he did not know of the abuse at Harrods and that Al Fayed “presided over a to.
