A woman, identified as Katie, has come forward with allegations of sexual assault against the late billionaire Mohamed Al Fayed. She worked at his Balnagown Castle estate in Ross-shire, Scotland, and claims she was targeted due to her vulnerable background.
Katie, now a middle-aged mother, stated that Al Fayed offered her a housekeeping position at Balnagown Castle when she was 18 years old. She had a background of time in care and had to support herself from a young age. Al Fayed reportedly told her he would be a father figure and help her with her needs.
She alleges that shortly after starting, Al Fayed asked her to become the family's nanny and travel with them, looking after his daughters. He organized a passport for her, as she had never left Scotland, and arranged for private medical tests, including what she later learned were Aids tests, at a local hospital.
During travel with the family to locations including Finland and Saint Tropez, Katie reported unwanted physical contact, which she initially dismissed as accidental or cultural. The alleged assault occurred at Al Fayed's Barrow Green Court mansion in Surrey, England, when he summoned her late at night to clean his shower. She stated he then made her place her hands inside his dressing gown and subsequently attempted to make an advance.
Katie recounted confiding in a security guard about the incident and receiving a call from Al Fayed the next day, who she claims threatened her, called her a liar, and stated he could destroy her and her family. She stated that a confidentiality agreement she had signed upon starting her employment was used by Al Fayed to silence her, with threats of legal action.
She eventually left his employment by claiming a family emergency. For three decades, she kept her experience secret due to the trauma and fear of repercussions. She found the courage to speak out after a 2024 BBC documentary highlighted similar allegations from other women who had worked for Al Fayed.
Katie is now backing calls for a public inquiry into the alleged abuse and has contacted the law firm Leigh Day, which is representing multiple alleged victims of Al Fayed and campaigning for their cases to be investigated. Police Scotland reportedly reopened a probe into assault allegations against Al Fayed in 2021. Mohamed Al Fayed died in 2023.
