Mohammed Al Fayed.

The report I read (Guardian)alleged Fayed had intimidated the victims with threats against their persons and their families, Fayed was rich enough to employ hit men.

Even today I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be advised to tell a future employer that your last boss was a sleaze, and that's why you left.

I completely agree with Oreo that these women should have left their employment at Harrods and told a future employer why they had left. Did they not have parents concerned with the alleged abuse telling them to leave?
I can't help thinking they are jumping on the Me Too bandwagon now that he is dead, in the hope of a financial settlement.

Because he was DPP from 2008

eazybee

What concerns me is that when these cases were reported to the CPS twice, they refused to act because they said, in my understanding, that there was little chance of any conviction. In other words he was too rich and powerful, in other words he was above the law. This is the stable that Keir Starmer comes from.

I’m not sure what relevance Keir Starmer’s ‘stable’ has, or why he’s relevant. I’d imagine the likelihood of a conviction would be low because actual evidence would be scarce, and his employees would no doubt have ‘no memory’ of events reported by his victims.
I do agree with Oreo that no doubt some accounts will be embellished or less than ‘Kosher’, and I’m sure that the statement issued by Harrods after the programme regarding compensation may lead to more people coming forward.

Ah is this why it's coming out now ? To discredit Starmer?

What concerns me is that when these cases were reported to the CPS twice, they refused to act because they said, in my understanding, that there was little chance of any conviction. In other words he was too rich and powerful, in other words he was above the law. This is the stable that Keir Starmer comes from.

Were there pregnancies?

Was there pregnancies ?

Have you watched the programme yet Oreo, I don’t recall parties being mentioned.

flappergirl

Oreo, I do agree that many of the women could have left (although I'm sure some were very young or possibly vulnerable). That's not my argument. My point of contention is with your original post which seemed to suggest that there was doubt over his guilt. Whilst there is always an element of doubt in any case this really isn't one of them.

I’m sure he was a predatory man and boss and some of the testimonies will be true and some will be either embellished or not 100% kosher as these sort of cases sometimes are, wherever money/ payouts are concerned.The women/ girls after being warned still went into his office? Some went on trips abroad with him. He was awful and I feel for anyone 16 who he assaulted but have less sympathy for older ones if they accepted parties and trips.We can all think what we like btw on this subject, and those are my thoughts on it.

Not even just about working he said to one 16 year old after he raped her in her bed … and after telling her to shower using dettol he said .Dont forget I know where your family live, she was terrified if she spoke out he would do something to her family

Vile creature, be used his power and wealth to bully and molest vunerable women.

petra

Oreo
Because his evil tentacles spread far and wide those girls probably wouldn’t have found another job.
Then there were his connections to the MET.

A woman interviewed on BBC News this morning said he told her if she told anybody she would never work in London again. He was a powerful man and I can believe it, she must have been terrified.

Oreo, I do agree that many of the women could have left (although I'm sure some were very young or possibly vulnerable). That's not my argument. My point of contention is with your original post which seemed to suggest that there was doubt over his guilt. Whilst there is always an element of doubt in any case this really isn't one of them.

Served

Like with most of these offences, other people are involved and complicit and hopefully they’ll be charged with offences and at least some sort of justice can be argued

Also, it's not likely that he came to them and said 'have sex with me or leave', is it? The victims were taken to his office and locked in. If they didn't report it, it would be because they knew that so many people wouldn't believe them. Women are so rarely believed - even by other women.

I know my parents would be fuming if I left a job, let alone one at Harrods.

Very simplistic view I think. Many young women were taken in and abused because they were frightened or ashamed to say no. I have great sympathy for the women involved in cases like this as I do for women - and men - who are the innocent victims in domestic abuse.

I don't understand what point is being made about whether the women left or not after the sexual assaults. I also think that Al Fayed wouldn't have been stopped by a slap on the face. This is not Joe Bloggs from accounts but a very rich and powerful man who got his own way. He managed to stop the investigations into his conduct, didn't he. He was never going to be held to account during his lifetime. If disclosure now gives these women some peace of mind, then that is a good thing.

They could leave and they did, none lasted very long. I noticed the dates they worked in the film and most left within a year.
However he was a powerful man and because of his influence threatened they wouldn’t get work in London. Clearly no reference either and without a reference it’s doubtful anyone would find decent employment.
The point is that this happened to many young women, and a 15 year old child and is a totally unacceptable use of power and authority.

I don’t think a yonesaid they couldn’t,t leave*Oreo*. But they had to sign ND statements before they did.Many of the women now coming forward kept all and any paperwork related to Harrods I,m sure they are interesting ,informative reading

Of course it was possible to move jobs, especially in London at that time, I worked in lots of shops/ stores and offices then.
Once again, as this point just isn’t getting through, I am not disbelieving and think Fayed a horrible man and a horrible boss.The only thing I know isn’t true is that girls working at Harrods couldn’t leave, (it wasn’t Hotel California.)

But you are missing the point that it is not always possible to move jobs Oreo. Even outside of remote backwaters. And people like Al Fayed were powerful.

Plus, before the girls and women were attacked they wouldn’t necessarily know that attending a meeting with their boss was likely to lead to sexual assault or rape. Why are you disbelieving so many women and girls because their experiences were different from yours?