Upmarket London department store Harrods on Tuesday said it was in discussions with more than 250 women to settle claims of sexual misconduct by former owner Mohammed al-Fayed.
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The disclosure came as the daughter of former England footballer Paul Gascoigne said she was assaulted by the late Egyptian billionaire when she worked at the store as a teenager but was threatened about speaking out.
Fayed has been accused of raping and sexually harassing scores of women, earning comparisons with high-profile sex offenders such as the Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and US financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The slew of allegations came to light in a BBC documentary aired last month.
Harrods, which is under new ownership, said in a statement: “Since 2023, Harrods settled a number of claims with women who alleged historic sexual misconduct by Fayed.
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“Since the airing of the documentary, so far there are over 250+ individuals who are now in the Harrods process to settle claims directly with the business.”