Lawyer Carly Sylvester, who specialises in recovering compensation for abuse survivors, has successfully secured two substantial settlements under the Harrods Redress Scheme for women sexually abused by the late Mohamed Al-Fayed during their employment at Harrods.
The Harrods Scheme was established to compensate those who suffered sexual abuse, harassment, and exploitation linked to Mr Al-Fayed’s position as Chairman.
£30,000 compensation settlement for Al-Fayed abuse survivor
At the time of the incident, our client was just 18 years old and taking part in the Harrods’ trainee scheme. While working one day, she was approached by Al-Fayed, who had been observing her on the shop floor via CCTV. Under the pretext of needing her help, he lured her into a stationery cupboard, where he proceeded to grope and attempt to kiss her without consent.
In the immediate aftermath, our client was confronted by Harrods security staff who accused her of “bumping into” the Harrods Chairman. She was physically grabbed and shouted at in public before being detained in a locked security room, where she was interrogated aggressively. During this meeting, she was told she posed a “security threat” to Harrods and was prevented from leaving. Later, she received a threatening phone call from the head of security, during which her parents’ names and home address were mentioned.
Over the following days, she was excluded from team activities, placed under visible surveillance, and left feeling isolated and distressed. Fearing for her safety and unable to continue in the hostile environment, she made the difficult decision to resign without notice, ending what had been a promising start to her career.
Our client chose to proceed under the non-medical pathway of the Harrods compensation scheme, which we were involved in developing. The redress scheme allows applicants to seek compensation without having to produce psychiatric reports or medical evidence.
Carly Sylvester prepared a detailed submission outlining not only the assault itself, but also the campaign of harassment that followed. After extensive correspondence and careful negotiation with Harrods legal representatives, a final settlement was agreed in the sum of £30,000, comprising of £17,000 in ‘general damages’ for the sexual assault and £13,000 in ‘aggravated damages’ to reflect the post-assault intimidation, abuse of power, and our client’s young age and vulnerability.
Our client received the full sum of £30,000, without deductions.
£86,000 settlement for another Harrods abuse survivor
Carly has also recently won another award of compensation under the Harrods redress scheme, this time recovering a sum of £86,000 for a woman who was just 19 years old when she was targeted by Al-Fayed shortly after she joined Harrods in 2000.
Our client’s job role involved her rotating between departments. Within her first week, she was summoned unexpectedly to the Chairman’s office. Over the weeks that followed, he repeatedly summoned her, attempting to hug, kiss, grope, and touch her. She felt frightened and distressed.
Harrods management later reassigned her to work permanently in the Chairman’s office. During this period, she was told she was required to undergo a “medical examination”. Without explanation or consent, she was subjected to various tests, including blood testing.
Several weeks later, she was sent to Al-Fayed’s Park Lane residence in an administrative capacity. Towards the end of her shift, she was summoned upstairs. The bedroom door was open. Feeling increasingly afraid, she attempted to keep her distance, but Al-Fayed led her into the bedroom and raped her.
Like the earlier case, our client opted to proceed under the non-medical pathway. Following detailed submissions and negotiation, settlement was agreed at £86,000, broken down as follows:
- £75,000 in ‘general damages’ for the sexual assault and rape
- £8,000 in aggravated damages for the abuse of power, coercion, and threats
- £3,000 for wrongful testing relating to the non-consensual blood testing
Our client received the full sum of £86,000, without deductions.
How we can help you recover compensation for the abuse you have suffered
We specialise in helping survivors of abuse recover the compensation they are entitled to receive.
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We are one of a small number of law firms who were consulted during the development of the Harrods Redress Scheme. A unique feature of the scheme is that all eligible applicants we represent are guaranteed to receive 100% of their compensation, with no deductions for legal costs.
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For expert guidance on recovering compensation for abuse survivors call us on 0333 888 0445. All calls are confidential and initial legal guidance is completely free of charge. We deal with claims nationwide on a No Win – No Fee basis.