Some 60 more women accuse Mohamed Al-Fayed, ex-owner of Harrod's and the Paris Ritz, of sex abuse
Some 60 women have come forward with new allegations since a BBC documentary aired last week detailing sexual assault claims against Mohamed Al-Fayed, the former owner of Harrod's department store and the Paris Ritz. A former executive assistant at the Ritz told the BBC that she plans to ask the Paris prosecutor to open an investigation.
Around 60 women have now come forward to allege they were sexually abused by former Harrods owner Mohamed Al-Fayed, lawyers representing them said on Friday.
A BBC documentary last week aired claims by women that Fayed, who died last year aged 94, raped and sexually abused them during his ownership of the luxury department store.
The accusations make the Egyptian billionaire the latest high-profile figure to join a list of rich and powerful men, such as Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, disgraced by sexual abuse allegations.
"The response has simply been enormous," the lawyers said in a statement. We can confirm that we now represent 60 survivors as part of our claim, with more to come."
The legal team said that since going public following the television expose, they had been contacted by people from all over the world.
"Our claim is becoming increasingly global in scope... We expected that anywhere Mohamed Al-Fayed went, abuse would follow," the statement read. "Sadly this has proven to be true.
"We are now in possession of credible evidence of abuse at other Al-Fayed properties and businesses, including Fulham Football Club."
British prosecutors have said they twice received evidence against Fayed.
Pattern of abuse
In 2008, Fayed was accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) reviewed evidence in 2009.
In 2013, he was accused of raping a woman, a claim investigated in 2015.
In both instances, the CPS, which decides on prosecutions in England and Wales, said there was no "realistic prospect of conviction" and did not bring charges against the Harrods chairman.
The lawyers said they would continue to respond to inquiries from potential victims or witnesses and called for an "independent and transparent process to evaluate and adjudicate these claims".
The women they represented, they said, had "lost all faith in Harrods and their processes".
Harrods' managing director, Michael Ward, said this week his former boss presided over a "toxic culture of secrecy, intimidation, fear of repercussion and sexual misconduct".
But he said he had not been "aware of his criminality and abuse" and expressed his "personal horror at the revelations".
Fayed's accusers say the assaults took place in his apartments in London and his properties in Paris, including the Ritz hotel.
Allegations include a repeated pattern of women who underwent a selection process for positions close to Fayed.
Once selected, they were subjected to an "invasive" gynaecological examination, the results of which were shared with Fayed.
The women said that when they tried to complain about their abuse, were threatened by senior security staff, demoted and subject to false allegations until they had "no choice" but to leave Harrods.
Fayed sold Harrods to the investment arm of Qatar's sovereign wealth fund for a reported £1.5 billion ($2.2 billion).
He also owned Fulham Football Club.
(AFP)
RTL: The Voice will “absolutely return” to
Dutch television after sex misconduct scandal
RTL's content director Peter van der Vorst confirmed that reality musical competition show The Voice of Holland “will absolutely return” to the Netherlands. The show was indefinitely suspended in January 2022 following serious allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse of power by jury members and The Voice's bandleader, dating back to 2018.
“It will likely take about a year and a half, but we still need to finalize the timeline,” he added. RTL is aiming to re-launch the reality show in 2026.
“Next year would be too soon because we need at least a year to prepare the program. We are currently brainstorming on how to bring The Voice back and refresh the format,” Van der Vorst elaborated. He said the concept needed to be locked down before production can begin.
The internationally sold format was developed by Talpa and is broadcast in the Netherlands on RTL. An extensive criminal investigation was launched into the misconduct. Despite the serious allegations, the case against the bandleader, Jeroen Rietbergen, was dropped due to a lack of evidence. Rietbergen was married to Linda de Mol, the sister of Talpa head John de Mol. He was central to allegations about promising he would help contestants advance in the show if they engaged in sexual activity with him.
John de Mol was widely criticized for simultaneously claiming he has an open-door policy to field complaints about his business operation, while also seeming to place the blame for The Voice scandal on the victims. One of the show's coaches, Ali B., was also named in allegations, as was singer Marco Borsato. Ali B. was recently convicted in a separate sex crimes case.
Victims´ lawyer worried about the show`s comeback
Attorney Sébas Diekstra, representing several alleged victims associated with The Voice, expressed “serious concerns” about the show's return. He stated it should only happen after “a thorough and independent investigation into the misconduct” is conducted. “We have seen that such an investigation has not taken place. The criticism of the investigation that did happen was devastating. Both supporters and critics agreed on that.”
According to Diekstra, an independent investigation should also focus on “the management’s role.” He added that the results should prompt a complete overhaul of the support and aftercare system for contestants, including necessary rules needed to prevent the show environment becoming unsafe for the contestants.
Diekstra continued by noting that many former contestants are still afraid to speak out about their experiences, which means there
is no clear understanding of the full extent of the issues within the production. However, he acknowledged that several of his clients view the show as “a beautiful and important concept” for artists.
RTL has promised to approach the show's return carefully. “The Voice remains a very strong international format, and we’re hearing from viewers that they want to see it back. [...] We will carefully evaluate all aspects, including content, coaches, and the team, to ensure a safe and supportive environment for everyone involved in the show, as well as address all other issues related to its return.”
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