Image source, PA Media

The aftermath of a BBC investigation - in which 20 ex-Harrods employees say they were sexually assaulted or raped by its former owner Mohamed Al Fayed - has continued today.

More than 100 women have reached out to a legal team which is representing 37 of Fayed's accusers, according to one of their barristers.

In a news conference this afternoon, a lawyer said the cases were “rapidly evolving and expanding every day".

The current owners of Harrods say they are appalled by the allegations and have a settlement process in place for accusers.

Fulham FC are in the process of establishing whether Fayed, who bought the football club in 1997, attacked employees during his time as owner.

We are now ending our live coverage. You can read a recap of what we learned from a press conference involving several accusers earlier today, and read a full round-up of the fallout.

There is also the full 90-minute investigation that you can watch on iPlayer.

• Some of the details in this story are distressing. If you're affected, you can contact the BBC Action Line.

Daniel Sandford
Home affairs correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

The BBC has asked the Ritz Paris hotel - which Mohamed Al Fayed bought in 1979 - if it has ever paid any compensation to employees or former employees over sexual assault or rape allegations.

Earlier, lawyers representing some of Fayed's accusers at Harrods said they were "aware" of allegations relating to other workplaces owned by him, and said they were representing a woman who worked at the Ritz.

The hotel did not answer whether or not it had paid any compensation, but issued a statement which says it "strongly condemns any form of behaviour that does not align with the values of the establishment".

More accusers have come forward to Harrods since the BBC published its investigation into Mohamed Al Fayed.

The department store has a compensation scheme for ex-employees who say were attacked by Fayed, which is separate to the legal action being taken by some accusers.

Harrods - which has not been owned by Fayed since 2010 - has already reached financial settlements with the majority of people who have approached them since 2023.

There are no non-disclosure agreements attached to the settlements, and Harrods will not seek to enforce any gagging order signed by women who alleged sexual abuse during Fayed's ownership.

Dominic Casciani
Home and legal affairs correspondent

A legal team representing some of Fayed's accusers have set out two important strategic decisions today that underline how serious they are when they say they are determined to get justice for each woman.

The first is that Dean Armstrong KC said they are not planning what is popularly known as a “class action”. That’s when a group of people with practically identical claims come together to simplify and reduce the amount of evidence that needs to be argued over in court, therefore speeding up the process.

Armstrong said Fayed’s victims suffered or continue to suffer different harms, so their cases must be dealt with individually.

Secondly, they have also thought about how to counter any arguments in court that the claims are being lodged far too late to be just.

Generally in English law, a damages case must begin within six years of the damage that was caused, a rule which prevents the courts being used to settle matters that could have been dealt with years ago.

But that rule can be set aside if there are compelling reasons why someone could not sue earlier. Armstrong said that if Harrods argues the women have run out of time, their evidence will be the women had been too scared to speak before now - and therefore the limit does not apply.

Image source, PA Media

Today has been a significant one for women who worked at Harrods and say they were attacked by its former owner Mohamed Al Fayed.

Earlier we heard from some of those women and the lawyers representing them.

If you are just joining us, you can read our story recapping today's events.

Police Scotland say they have investigated a report of a "non-recent sexual assault" at the Balnagown Estate in the Scottish Highlands, which Mohamed Al Fayed bought in 1972.

The force says "enquiries are now complete", adding: "However, should new information be obtained or reported to police, then further enquiries will be carried out."

Image source, PA Media

Yesterday a woman told the BBC she was subjected to a "sickening" sexual assault by former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed after being summoned to his London flat for a work meeting.

The woman, who we are calling Melanie, is one of a growing number of additional ex-Harrods employees to contact the BBC since an investigation into Fayed's predatory behaviour was published.

Warning: this post contains details some may find distressing.

Melanie worked at Harrods for a few years prior to 2010. She described being hired there as a 21-year-old as a "dream job".

She met Fayed - who was in his late seventies at the time - at work meetings on two occasions, before being told to attend his apartment on London's Park Lane in late 2007.

Melanie says she went to the evening meeting despite the invitation "ringing the alarm bells".

Melanie continued: "As I stood to leave, that's when he put his hands on my breast and said some pretty disgusting things. And I was in complete shock. I just turned around and walked out."

You can read Melanie's full story here.

Image source, Reuters

Fulham FC say they are beginning an investigation into whether Mohamed Al Fayed abused employees during his time at the football club.

He bought Fulham in 1997 before selling it to Shahid Khan in 2013 for between £150m and £200m.

Lawyers working on the civil case against Harrods earlier said they "don't at this stage represent" any woman previously working for Fulham FC.

They said they were aware of allegations at other businesses owned by Fayed, but did not specify one was Fulham FC.

The club says they are "deeply troubled" by the findings of the BBC documentary Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods.

A statement reads: "We are in the process of establishing whether anyone at the club is or has been affected.

"Should any person wish to share information or experiences relating to these allegations, we encourage them to contact the club at safeguardingfulhamfc.com or the police."

Image source, PA Media

A little earlier, we heard from lawyers for women who say they were abused by former Harrods boss Mohamed Al Fayed.

We also heard from a survivor, Natacha, who worked at the luxury London department store under Fayed when she was 19.

Here's what we heard from those at the news conference:

• Full culpability: Lawyer Dean Armstrong said the BBC documentary into serious sexual abuse allegations against Fayed shows Harrods has "full culpability" for the abuse
• Intrusive examinations: Some female staff at Harrods were subject to unnecessary, intrusive medical examinations, including a full sexual screening
• Threats: Women were threatened if they complained about the abuse - lawyer Maria Mulla says some were told: “I know where you and your family live”
• Harrods claims 'simply not true': The lawyers said Harrods said it didn't know about the abuse claims until 2023 - they said that was "simply not true"
• The Ritz: A woman employed by the Ritz in Paris is also being represented by the lawyers. The Ritz - which Fayed bought in 1979 - previously said it "strongly condemns all forms of behaviour that do not align with the values of the establishment".
• Rapidly evolving: Each of the women's cases will be dealt with individually, barrister Maria Mulla said, adding the case is “rapidly evolving and expanding every day"

The current owners of Harrods - who bought it off Fayed in 2010 - say they're appalled by the allegations and have a settlement process in place for alleged victims. We've asked for their response to the latest details which emerged today.

• Some of the details in this story are distressing. If you're affected, you can contact the BBC Action Line.

For those of you coming fresh to this story, we've been hearing from lawyers for women who say they were sexually abused by former Harrods boss Mohamed Al Fayed.

Today's news conference was sparked by a BBC investigation which revealed that more than 20 women said they were sexually assaulted by the late Egyptian billionaire.

You can watch the full 90-minute investigation now on BBC iPlayer.

Helena Wilkinson
Reporting from the news conference

The most important people in the news conference room today have been the women who suffered abuse at the hands of Mohamed Al Fayed.

They sat at the front, sometimes nodding, sometimes shaking their heads, as they listened to Al Fayed branded a “monster”.

I’ve been told around 20 survivors have come here today.

You could sense the shock in the room as the grim and disturbing details of what he did to many women were laid bare.

Some were too afraid to come.

It’s the words of one of the survivors, Natacha, that were the most powerful: Finally she has found the freedom to speak about what happened to her, and she was doing so for her daughters and nieces.

The BBC has asked Harrods to comment on what has emerged from the news conference.

As a reminder, Mohamed Al Fayed, sold Harrods in 2010. Prior to the media briefing, the current owners said they were "appalled" by the abuse allegations.

The Harrods of today "is a very different organisation to the one owned and controlled by Al Fayed between 1985 and 2010", the statement says, and one that seeks to "put the welfare of our employees at the heart of everything we do".

Since new information "came to light in 2023 about historic allegations of sexual abuse by Al Fayed, it has been our priority to settle claims in the quickest way possible, avoiding lengthy legal proceedings for the women involved", the statement continues.

"This process is still available for any current or former Harrods employees."

Read the full statement here

Natacha takes the last question of the press conference on how she found the courage to speak of the abuse she experienced.

She thanks the friend who involved her in the legal process and says: "We all stand together, and if you can stand together as a woman then you have the strength to not be afraid anymore."

Her comment is met with applause from the other victims and attendees.

Drummond once again salutes "the bravery of the survivors", before the panel stands up and leaves the room.

Helena Wilkinson
Reporting from the news conference

We are hearing that the women’s cases will be dealt with individually and not be grouped together.

Dean Armstrong KC says that is because each of the women have had different experiences.

Barrister Maria Mulla says claims have not yet been issued and that what they are dealing with is "rapidly evolving and expanding every single day".

She adds that there are "potential jurisdictional elements that need to be considered", adding that they are liaising with experts including in the US.

A little earlier, the lawyers were asked if they were "aware of employees or survivors at other ventures like Fulham Football Club?"

"Yes," Maria Mulla replies. "We are aware of allegations that have been made at other places of work.

"We represent also women who were employed by the Ritz [in Paris, which Al Fayed bought in 1979]".

"We don't at this stage represent any women who for instance, sustained attacks at Fulham Football Club, but our investigations are obviously ongoing into all these entities."

The Ritz hotel in Paris previously told the BBC it "strongly condemns all forms of behaviour that do not align with the values of the establishment".

A little earlier we heard from Natacha, one of the survivors, who says she now finally has the freedom to speak up for all those who "suffered at the hand of the predator Al Fayed".

Helena Wilkinson from BBC News now asks Natacha, the survivor, about "finding freedom" to speak about her experience.

Natacha says after all these years "it feels odd" to speak about it.

"It feels good to change a legacy of a man who really was a monster, and I don't think we really comprehended that at the time," she says.

This is because "we didn't really realise what was going on," she adds, but it is a "good feeling" to change the legacy.

Natacha says she has "daughters and nieces", and the thought of it happening to them is "awful".

Gloria Allred adds "they underestimated the courage of these victims to ever do anything about it... that's a big mistake".

Helena Wilkinson
Reporting from the news conference

Barrister Bruce Drummond says not one of the survivors he has spoken to has asked him about financial compensation.

He says none of them have ever asked him “what do you think I will get”.

Dean Armstrong KC is asked whether the legal team is considering launching a case against Fayed's estate.

Armstrong says they aren't "ruling anything out", but "we have a specific laser-focus for justice for these women."

He also explains a civil case is being brought against Harrods because of the network exposed in the BBC documentary and by the over 35 women who have now come forward.

"Why the focus on Harrods? This was systematic trafficking of women for sexual gratification that system began with the selection process of women of similar age," he says.

"Once that selection took place, intrusive medical examination took place to assess their 'suitability,' they’d then be placed in vulnerable position and called to the chairman’s office where despicable acts would take place."

Gloria Allred and Natacha share a hug once she finishes speaking of her experience working at Harrods under Fayed.

Now it's time for questions.

An NBC journalist asks: "To women who have signed NDAs [Non-disclosure agreements] what is your message to them?"

One of the lawyers says its very important to remember the circumstances in which NDAs and some settlements were given, saying there was "no level playing field".

"We will fight their veracity and their applicability. We are very confident those NDAs will not preclude us from getting justice for these women," he says.