Women tell BBC they were raped by AI Fayed

The former Harrods owner Mohamed AI Fayed has been accused of raping five women and sexually abusing at least 15 others when they worked at the luxury department store, according to a BBC investigation.

- Matthew Weaver

More than 20 women, all of whom were Fayed's former employees, told a BBC documentary they were sexually assaulted by him and that Harrods covered up the abuse.

The store's current owners said they were "utterly appalled" by the allegations and apologised to the victims.

Fayed, who sold Harrods in 2010, died last year aged 94. His obituary in the Guardian noted there had been repeated allegations of sexual harassment of female staff.

In 2009 the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to charge Fayed over the claim he had sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl at the store. In 2013 he was interviewed by police after a woman alleged he had sexually attacked her at his Park Lane apartment after a job interview. The police reopened the case in 2015 but took no further action. Fayed always denied the allegations.