Al-Fayed's shop of horrors... and the institutions that shielded him

When libel lawyer David Hooper was hired by Vanity Fair magazine to defend a libel action brought by the Harrods boss, it began a decadeslong pursuit of the serial sex-abuser, tyrant and predator

- By David Hooper

VETERAN journalist Maureen Orth pulled no punches in her magazine profile of the controversial owner of Harrods, Mohamed Al-Fayed. She recorded: "A dozen ex-employees I spoke with said he would chase secretaries around the office and sometimes try to stuff money down women's blouses."

"A succession of women were offered the use of a free apartment on Park Lane or a luxury car.”

Orth's extensive research threw up a shocking picture of sexual harassment at the upmarket London department store, where attractive female members of staff were required to take HIV tests in case Fayed was successful in having his wicked way with them. Nor was it just women who were harassed and demeaned in this highly sexualised atmosphere.

Former Harrods workers told how Fayed would brandish a two-foot plastic penis at male visitors and ask: “How's your c**k?”

When Orth's article was published in Vanity Fair in September 1995, Fayed sued for defamation. With a track record of ruthlessly using libel laws to silence his critics and control publicity about himself and his business operation, he was a formidable opponent. But editor Graydon Carter stood firm, refusing to be bullied, and Condé Nast, the magazine's publisher, hired me to mount their defence in court by proving the truth of the accusations in the article.

Along with Henry Porter, the magazine's London editor, I collected evidence of his predatory behaviour from the victims.

One was as young as 15; Fayed was 79 at the time he assaulted her. Most were in their early twenties. They were striking-looking and usually blonde. They would be offered a promotion and the possibility of a career in management, only too often to end up being sexually assaulted and trafficked for sexual purposes.