‘More than 100 survivors’ of alleged abuse by Al Fayed enter redress scheme

More than 100 survivors of alleged sexual abuse by Mohamed Al Fayed have entered Harrods’ redress scheme, the department store said as it also confirmed applicants had started receiving compensation.

The scheme, developed with law firm MPL Legal and funded by Harrods, opened for applications at the end of March and will remain live until March 31 next year.

In a three-month update, the store announced that survivors who were employed by Mr Al Fayed’s private airline company Fayair (Jersey) Co. Limited, and claim to have suffered abuse before May 7 2010, can now also apply to the scheme.

Compensation awards and interim payments began being issued to eligible survivors at the end of April

“Since the redress scheme’s inception, more than 100 survivors have entered the process, with many having had eligibility confirmed,” Harrods said.

“Compensation awards and interim payments began being issued to eligible survivors at the end of April.

“Survivors are making use of both the non-medical and medical pathways.”

The store also stressed that the scheme did not require survivors to undergo medical assessment.

“There have been misleading reports that the scheme requires survivors to be assessed by a medical expert,” it said in its FAQs.

“Harrods would like to reassure survivors that this is not the case. Since its launch, the scheme has provided eligible applicants with a choice to proceed with either a non-medical pathway or medical pathway.”

Harrods “apologises unreservedly” for the sexual abuse people suffered and “wants everyone who is eligible to receive this compensation”, according to documents on the scheme’s website.

Those eligible can apply for a number of types of compensation:

– General damages of up to £200,000
– Work impact payment of up to £150,000
– Aggravated damages of up to £25,000
– Wrongful testing fixed payment(s) of up to £10,000
– Treatment costs

All eligible applicants are offered a meeting with a senior Harrods’ representative, to receive an apology in person or by video, as well as an individual written apology.

The scheme only requires “documentary evidence”, meaning applicants are not asked to give oral evidence about their claims.

If a person makes a successful application and accepts an offer, it is treated as “full and final settlement”, meaning they waive their right to pursue action for damages.

It was reported earlier this month that the Metropolitan Police had apologised to alleged victims of Mr Al Fayed for the distress they had suffered in a letter leaked to the BBC.

The Met is reviewing a total of 21 allegations that were made before Mr Al Fayed died in 2023, and had referred two of these to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) in November.

More than 100 alleged victims have contacted police to say they were sexually abused by the tycoon, the youngest of whom is thought to have been 13 at the time.