Mohamed Al Fayed Documentary – Latest: More than 20 women accuse former Harrods boss of sexual abuse and rape

According to lawyer Maria Mulla, after being selected by the recruitment team, women are sent for a “private medical examination” by three or four doctors.

This involves a complete physical examination, sometimes including a cervical smear and an examination of the ovaries.

These checks were conducted for positions such as secretary, personal assistant or even interior designer to Al-Fayed.

Al-Fayed allegedly made “personally demeaning and insulting comments about what he was told during the medical examination”.

Bruce Drummond KC told the press conference: “This is one of the worst cases of corporate sexual exploitation that I, and perhaps the world, have ever seen.

“It was absolutely horrific. I can’t stress that word enough – it was horrific. It’s horrific because of the acts that were perpetrated against these young women and girls – and I say girls because most of them were only 19 to 24 years old at the time, and some were as young as 15 and 16.

“It is appalling because the system – and it was the system – that had drawn them in enabled the abuse of these young women. And it is appalling because of the effects that this sexual abuse and the institutional betrayal of Harrods has had on our clients.

“These effects have been going on for years, and in some cases decades. And they are still going on.”

The press conference is now underway.

Dean Armstrong KC said that in “many years of practice” he had “never seen a case as horrific as this”.

He said it “combines some of the most appalling elements of the Jimmy Saville, Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein cases”.

“Saville because the institution knew about the behaviour, Epstein because there was a system of recruitment within the palace to recruit the women and girls to abuse, Weinstein because it was a person at the top who abused his power,” he said.

Following the new allegations, Harrods’ current owners said they stood by a statement issued on Thursday saying they were “extremely shocked” by the allegations of abuse.

It said Fayed “planned to abuse his power wherever he operated” and that the company had “failed” employees by failing to respond.

The department store has also set up a page on its website inviting former employees to come forward with any allegations they may have.

At a press conference starting at 10am, a legal team involved in the investigation into Mohammad Al Fayed is expected to announce more details about a claim against the luxury department store, alleging the company failed to provide a safe working environment for its employees.

Following the publication of the study on Thursday, a woman who BBC Melanie came forward to say she had been the victim of a “sickening” sexual assault by the Egyptian billionaire.

A new sexual assault charge has been filed against Mohamed Al Fayed after an investigation into the late Harrods owner was published.

The woman believes police nearly arrested him over her allegations, just days before he died in August 2023, she told the BBC.

More than 20 former female employees have spoken to the broadcaster as part of a special investigation, making allegations of sexual assault and physical violence. The incidents are said to have taken place in London, Paris, Saint Tropez and Abu Dhabi.

Five women alleged they were raped by Fayed, who died last year aged 94. The BBC alleged that Harrods not only failed to intervene but also helped cover up the abuse allegations.

You can read more about this in this report: