Compensation claims brought by more than 200 survivors of alleged abuse by former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed could be worth up to £150 million, according to the law firm representing the women.
KP Law, which represents more than 275 survivors, said the “true value” of its clients’ claims is likely to be two or three times higher than the amount Harrods has reserved for its redress scheme.
The firm said its estimate includes women who did not apply to the scheme. It described the figure as being in “stark contrast” to the £4.1 million Harrods had paid in compensation by the end of January this year, as well as the £51.8 million provision set aside for future claims, according to the company’s financial statements.
Harrods established the redress scheme to compensate survivors. Applications were accepted from March 31 2025 until March 31 2026.
A Companies House document containing the department store’s full accounts for the year ending January 31 this year, published last month, said: “On 31 March 2026, the Harrods legal redress scheme was closed to new applications.
“Based on information available at the reporting date, the expected financial impact of claims arising under the scheme has been appropriately reflected in the provisions recognised as at January 31 2026.
“The total provision recognised as at January 31 2026 was £51.8 million.”
A lead partner at KP Law said the firm’s assessment of Harrods’ potential liability “lays to waste” the company’s claims that it has put survivors first.
A law firm representing the women claims compensation sought by more than 200 survivors of alleged abuse by former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed could total as much as £150 million
Former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed, who died aged 94 in August 2023, has been accused of sexual abuse by dozens of women
Kingsley Hayes said: “Today, for the first time, the true value of the compensation claim against Harrods and the Estate is exposed and lays to waste the claims that Harrods has continued to put survivors and their need for justice first.
“It also clearly demonstrates that the redress scheme, which Harrods closed on March 31 2026, was not worth the paper it was written on.”
‘Despite the desire for closure, the fact that almost all of our clients elected not to enter into the Harrods redress scheme reflects the widely published negative issues and concerns about the scheme; all of which were raised when it was first launched and which continued until it closed.
‘The redress scheme was simply not fit for purpose, and the total amount Harrods has set aside to settle all claims is not based on reality, with the true cost likely to be double or triple the amount.
‘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.’
Harrods has been contacted for comment.
When the redress scheme was still open, a spokesperson for the company said Harrods ‘supports the bravery of all survivors in coming forward’.
They encouraged women to continue making claims to the scheme and added: ‘We also encourage survivors to look at every avenue open to them in their pursuit of justice, whether that be the police or the Fayed family and estate.’
More than 400 allegations of sexual misconduct have been made against Al Fayed and other perpetrators linked to him, dating between 1977 and 2014, including sexual assault, rape, sexual exploitation and human trafficking.
The Metropolitan Police is dealing with at least 159 victims who contacted them directly, including 21 who came forward before Al Fayed’s death in 2023 at the age of 94.
The investigation, known as Operation Cornpoppy, was launched in November 2024 and is looking at people who may have facilitated or enabled Al Fayed’s crimes.
Last month, the Met was forced to apologise after the email addresses of Al Fayed’s victims were shared in a ‘human error’ data breach.
The contact details were accidentally disclosed in a monthly email for victims who chose to receive updates in the investigation, but the force had not blind copied the recipients which meant they had become ‘visible to others on the distribution list’, a spokesman said.
The Met said it has referred itself to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which provides data protection guidance.
