2 months ago
Harrods has been accused of being “neither adjacent nor just” complete its determination to adjacent a compensation strategy for survivors of alleged intersexual abuse by nan luxury section store’s erstwhile proprietor Mohamed Al Fayed.
Kingsley Hayes, partner astatine KP Law, which is representing astir 280 survivors, questioned why nan strategy was being closed connected Tuesday 31 March, earlier Harrods had completed an soul investigation into what happened and who knew astir it.
“We are concerned that nan determination appears to beryllium driven by financial considerations alternatively than what is adjacent and due for survivors,” nan rule patient said successful a statement.
Harrods set up a compensation scheme successful March past twelvemonth which it said astatine nan clip would only tally until 31 March this year.
The strategy was group up aft dozens of women came guardant pinch allegations of maltreatment by nan precocious entrepreneur going backmost arsenic acold arsenic 1977 aft nan broadcast past twelvemonth of nan BBC documentary Al Fayed: Predator astatine Harrods.
Hayes said nan strategy provided an replacement solution for survivors who did not wish to prosecute litigation.
“It is truthful incorrect to enforce a self-serving deadline,” he said.
“Today we are calling connected Harrods to ‘do nan honourable thing’ and hold nan closure of nan redress strategy and perpetrate to publishing nan findings of its agelong overdue soul investigation into what happened and who knew. Survivors are being asked to make life-altering decisions without entree to nan afloat picture. That is neither adjacent nor just.”
Harrods said much than 220 group had now engaged pinch nan redress strategy which it said had been designed successful consultation pinch master barristers, survivors and their ineligible representatives.
It said compensation had been paid to much than 70 survivors and it added “any partial submissions will proceed to beryllium recognised and progressed to completion aft this date”.
A spokesperson for Harrods said: “We recognise differing views, nevertheless Harrods has ever stated that nan strategy represents only 1 shape of redress disposable to survivors.
“It was designed to supply solution without nan request for a prolonged ineligible process and to guarantee each reasonable ineligible fees could beryllium paid and nan afloat compensation grant would spell to nan individual. Our committedness to redress does not extremity pinch nan exertion deadline.
“Harrods recognises nan singular bravery of survivors who travel guardant and proceed to shed further ray connected this acheronian section to our history. The volition of nan Harrods redress strategy has been to support survivors of nan bad intersexual maltreatment perpetrated by Fayed, for which we person accepted vicarious liability and utterly condemn. We guidelines by nan advancement made done this scheme, and our committedness to these survivors continues.”
The Metropolitan constabulary said past twelvemonth that 111 women had made allegations against Fayed; nan youngest is thought to person been 13 astatine nan time.
In documents connected nan scheme’s website, Harrods “apologises unreservedly” for nan intersexual maltreatment survivors suffered and “wants everyone who is eligible to person this compensation”.
Those eligible for its redress strategy could use for a number of types of redress including wide damages of up to £200,000 and a activity effect costs of up to £150,000 arsenic good arsenic payments for “wrongful testing” and curen costs.
All eligible applicants are offered a gathering pinch a elder Harrods typical to person an apology successful personification aliases by video, arsenic good arsenic an individual written apology.
The scheme, developed pinch nan rule patient MPL Legal and funded by Harrods did not require survivors to acquisition aesculapian appraisal and claims could beryllium based connected “documentary evidence” without alleged victims having to speak successful personification astir their experiences.
