Al-Fayed estate put on notice of legal claims relating to sexual abuse

The letters of claim, sent by law firm Leigh Day, have been sent on behalf of five women who worked as nannies and private air stewards for Al-Fayed between 1995 and 2012.
 

They were employed by Al-Fayed’s private airline Fayair, or by the Al -Fayed family’s other enterprises.
 
The letters are sent under the pre-action protocol for personal injury claims and mark the first formal step in the legal process prior to the commencement of court proceedings.
 
Law firm Leigh Day, which specialises in personal injury and abuse claims, is currently representing 27 women in claims relating to abuse by Mohammed Al-Fayed and his brother Salah Fayed. The legal team have been instructed by their clients to pursue two legal options: civil compensation claims and to press for an independent public inquiry. 
 
Richard Meeran, partner at law firm Leigh Day, said:
 
“We have taken this step on behalf of those of our clients who were abused by Al-Fayed while working for him or his other businesses outside of Harrods. Our clients took on roles as professionals and should have been able to expect a safe working environment, instead they were subjected to serious sexual abuse, harassment and mistreatment. Some faced further verbal abuse and threats when they tried to raise their concerns or report the abuse. Much of the media reporting around Al-Fayed’s decades of depraved and predatory behaviour has centred around his work at Harrods but it is important that his estate is also made legally accountable for the widespread abuse he perpetrated against those who may never have had dealings with the famous store.”
 
The legal team at Leigh Day is led by partners Richard Meeran and Emma Jones who both have decades of experience in representing claimants against large corporations and government bodies. Over the past 30 years, Richard has been instrumental in developing English law on the liability of businesses for human rights abuses, particularly for the exploitation of workers, including through human trafficking. Emma specialises in human rights claims including assault claims, actions against the police and legal challenges to governments decisions and policy. She represented hundreds of people through independent inquiries including the Infected Blood Inquiry, the ongoing COVID Inquiry and the Lampard Inquiry into mental health services in Essex. 
 
Human rights barristers Phillippa Kaufmann KC of Matrix Chambers and Nina Ross of 12 King's Bench Walk have been retained by the team to work on the case.