Harrods Apologizes for Abuse by Late Owner Al Fayed

The managing director of Harrods apologized Thursday for the store's failure to protect employees who were reportedly sexually assaulted by its late owner, Mohamed Al Fayed. Speaking to the AP, Michael Ward condemned Al Fayed's "toxic culture of secrecy, intimidation, fear of repercussion and sexual misconduct." Five women have reported rapes by Al Fayed to the BBC, and 37 alleged victims have retained lawyers, with more claims anticipated.

Ward, who worked for Al Fayed for four years, stated he was unaware of the owner's criminality despite public rumors. Al Fayed, who owned Harrods for a quarter century before selling it to Qatar Investment Authority in 2010, died last year at 94. Ward emphasized Harrods' regret, saying, "We failed our colleagues and for that we are deeply sorry"; he stressed that current practices at Harrods differ vastly from those under Al Fayed's ownership.

London's Metropolitan Police had been informed of allegations and questioned Al Fayed in 2008 about the alleged sexual abuse of a minor, but no charges were filed. Al Fayed's family has not commented on the allegations. The Egyptian-born businessman, who relocated to Britain in the 1960s, purchased Harrods in the mid-1980s and gained further notoriety through his ownership of Fulham soccer club. His son, Dodi, died in a car crash with Princess Diana in 1997. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)