When Harrods announced it would open a redress scheme to compensate survivors of abuse by the luxury London department store’s former owner, Mohamad Al Fayed, it received praise and positive press coverage for its actions.
As a network of survivors, we have been shocked and dismayed by Harrods’ approach to redress. Its scheme is not just inadequate, it forces survivors to trade safety for compensation, and risks undermining criminal justice in the UK and France, where Al Fayed’s family still own the luxury Ritz Paris hotel.
Multiple women raised allegations against Al Fayed during his lifetime. It was not until a BBC broadcast in September 2024 – a year after his death aged 94 – that the scale and systemic nature of the abuse became clear.
