A law firm representing over 275 survivors of alleged abuse by former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed claims that compensation payouts could exceed £150 million. KP Law stated that the estimated 'true value' of its clients' claims is double or triple the amount Harrods has allocated for its redress scheme.
The firm's assessment contrasts sharply with the £4.1 million Harrods had paid out in compensation by January of this year, and the £51.8 million set aside for future claims, according to the company's financial statements. Harrods established a redress scheme that was open for applications from March 31, 2025, to March 31 of the current year. Company House documents confirm the scheme closed to new applications on March 31, 2026.
Kingsley Hayes, a lead partner at KP Law, asserted that the firm's valuation undermines Harrods' claims of prioritizing survivors' needs. He stated that the redress scheme, which has now closed, was "not worth the paper it was written on." Hayes cited that most of their clients chose not to enter the Harrods scheme due to widely publicized concerns raised since its launch. He argued that the scheme was insufficient and that the total provision Harrods has made does not reflect the reality of the potential costs, which he believes will be significantly higher.
"In short, Harrods has used its own managed redress scheme to put its own commercial concerns ahead of survivor needs, seeking to minimise the commercial impact on the business while enabling it to falsely claim it had survivors' interests at heart," Hayes said.
More than 400 allegations of sexual misconduct have been made against Al Fayed and associated individuals, spanning from 1977 to 2014. These accusations include sexual assault, rape, sexual exploitation, and human trafficking. The Metropolitan Police are investigating, with at least 159 victims having contacted them directly. An investigation, dubbed Operation Cornpoppy, was initiated in November 2024 to examine individuals who may have facilitated Al Fayed's alleged crimes.
In a separate incident last month, the Metropolitan Police apologized after inadvertently disclosing the email addresses of some Al Fayed victims due to a data breach. The force has referred itself to the Information Commissioner's Office for investigation.